Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1978)
The Battaijon Senate vote recommends that Harvey resign office Thursday, February 9, 1978 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 Inside Thursday: Mardis Gras in all its glory, p. 10. The slide rule is forgotten but not gone, p. 7. A&M signs 21 high school football prospects, p. 11. 91, Be kind to dirty buses It’s hard to resist writing messages on a traveling billboard — like the back of a shuttle bus. The author here seems undecided about kindness toward humans, animals and mud sharks, but the request for the shuttlebus drivers comes out loud and clear. Battalion photo by Liz Bailey By LIZ NEWLIN Battalion Staff Texas A&M University’s student senate recommended Wednesday night that Stu dent Body President Robert Harvey should resign his office because he posted below a 2.0 grade point ratio last semester. Senators voted 26-24 to adopt the suggestion, “The person in question should resign according to regulations as stated. This is to be applied to all members of student government currently shown to be deficient in posting a 2.000 GPR per semester.” One member abstained, and 27 mem bers were absent. The vote came after nearly three hours of procedures and debate on the issue. The senate departed from its agenda to consider the controversy first. “This item has been hanging over all student government,” said Bobby Tucker, speaker of the senate. “This matter ought to be settled, and it ought to be settled now.” After the ballot, Tucker said, “I don’t think anyone has a sense of victory in this vote. “One thing many people seemed to be hanging on was the feeling of the senate. ... I feel like our voice has been heard,” Tucker said. Harvey said he would not resign during the meeting and that he wanted to con sider the vote. Earlier in the meeting, Harvey told senators they needed to make the senate’s opinion clear. Harvey said he would act on the senate’s recommendation “seriously and accord ingly.” The request does not name Vicki Young, vice president for student services, or Joe Young, senator, who also were is sued writs of mandamus last week asking them to give evidence of their scholastic proficiency. Chris Farmer, acting chairman of the judicial board which issued the writs, re fused to reveal the results. But he noted that two of the three forms had been given to Tucker. The forms showed the students’ college, whether their semester and over all GPRs were above 2.0, or whether they are on scholastic probation Senators did not ask Tucker for the re sults. Harvey volunteered that his GPR last semester was below 2.0, adding that his overall GPR is above 2.0. Part of his defense is based on the dis tinction between overall and semester GPRs. The student body constitution, he said, is unclear on grade requirements. “These rules have not been enforced and they should not be enforced in this arbitrary manner,” he said. “Acting on precedent, I should have acted as I did.” Senators dropped formal procedures to discuss the issue. Arguments centered around constitu tional and ethical questions: Can the president be removed only if he is on scholastic probation? That require ment appears within the article describing the legislature. Which should serve as the final authority, the constitution or University Regulations? Do these conflict? Does University regulation require a 2.0 overall or semester GPR? Should senators follow results of an informal Battalion opinion survey taken last week? A poll in Wednesday’s Battalion showed that a majority of students questioned favor an overall 2.0 GPR requirement. Should the senate make a new rule, abandoning current requirements? The senate did not decide any of these particular questions in detail. Instead, they requested that Robert Harvey resign and continued the session. Other action taken at the meeting will be reported in Friday’s Battalion. Judge says Republicans should build ‘uv’ not ‘down By PAUL BARTON Collin County Judge Nathan White Jr. said Wednesday night that the Republican Party needs to “build from the county cour thouse level, up” instead of from the White House down. White spoke at a meeting of the Texas A&M chapter of College Repub licans at the Memorial Student Center. He pointed out that Republicans control county judgeships in only eight of 254 Texas counties. “We really have a lot of work to do as far as establishing ourselves at the courthouse level,” White said. White, a candidate for re-election this year, also criticized the structure of Texas county governments. He said county judges have too little authority over elected officials who perform poorly. 1 rairie illing View students still out questionnaires The only thing they can do. White said, is “badger, cajole, coerce or threaten. It’s really a weak form of government. White also spoke out against the amount of authority held by county commissioners. “In too many counties a commissioner has absolute say over whether a road will be repaired or not.” The position, said White, “has the potential for abuse.” According to White, many Texas coun ties need to raise their tax levels so they can “perform the responsibilites they have.” He also said they need to raise their salary scales so they can attract better personnel. During a question and answer session following his speech, White termed reve nue sharing “not a particularly good idea. I would prefer that they leave the taxes down here,” said White, adding that revenue sharing money has too many strings attached which limit how it can be spent by local governments. In regard to the current political year, White predicted that Jimmy Carter will have an adverse effect on Democmatic candidates in Texas elections. “We have a president who told a lot of people one thing and went up to Washing ton and did another, and a lot of people are WHITE mad about it,” he said. White said Texans are upset over Carter’s failure to keep his campaign promise to regulate the natural gas market. White also said Republicans need to im prove their standing with minorities. “The conservative philosophy is the better phi losophy for all people,” he said. “We’ve done a poor job of communicating the con servative philosophy to minorities.” By GARY WELCH and KAREN ROGERS Battalion Staff ost Prairie View A&M University stu- :s are still required to fill out a ques- naire as part of registering to vote in Her County, despite a state order is- Ito stop the procedure, ist September Secretary of State Mark ite issued an emergency order to stop Her County tax assessor-collector oy Symm from requiring some stu- ts to fill out the questionnaire in addi- to voter registration applications, am is still using the questionnaire. It’s used when I don’t know the people can’t tie them to anything,” Symm Tuesday. He said voter registrars in st Texas counties take a “no care” at- idewhen letting college students regis- to vote. ’otential voters in Waller County first out a voter registration application. If ther Symm nor anyone on his staff 3ws the applicant personally, Symm cks the county tax rolls to verify the ilicants permanent residency. If resi- 61 dency is verified, the applicant is issued a voter registration certificate. A Prairie View student who owns prop erty in the county has no trouble getting his certificate, Symm said. But if the application lists a dormitory as the applicant’s address, Symm mails him one of the controversial questionnaires. Harold Brown, president of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity at Prairie View, said he tried to register to vote in Oct. 1976, filled out the questionnaire and never heard from the tax office again. When he asked to see the form, he was told by the secre tary that the files were not open to public inspection. He said he also tried to register again last year but never received his certificate. The questionnaire begins by asking, “Are you a college student?” and “If so, where?” It also asks a series of questions about the student’s claim to residency, fu ture plans, and affiliations with organiza tions that are not college related. Federal judges Joe Ingraham, Woodrow Seals and Finis Cowan are now deciding the Prairie View students’ fate in the vot ing controversy. A hearing in the civil rights suit brought by the U.S. Justice Department ended Feb. 1, but the three- judge panel has yet to hand down a deci sion. The Justice Department is attempting to show that Symm’s use of the question naire is unconstitutional and is denying students the right to vote. Justice De partment attorney John Maccoon said Waller County is the only county in Texas that prevents college students from vot ing. Symm said issuing a registration card without verifying the student’s residency “makes for an unclean voter registration. “We go to the extreme to find out about a person, Symm said. “We go all the way.” Brazos County tax assessor-collector Gerald Winn said he sees no reason to deny Texas A&M students the right to vote in this county. “If they come down and register, we register them,” he said. “Most of the stu dents are going to be here four years any way. I never did see why I should question anyone trying to register to vote. ” deadline is April 6 Omega Psi Phi, which sponsored voter registration on the Prairie View campus, is holding all voter registration applications until it is “safe” to turn them in, said R.E. Carreathers, associate vice president for student affairs at Prairie View. If the three federal judges issue a court order forcing Symm to stop using the questionnaire, the fiaternity will turn in all the applications. “I think we ll get a decision in time for the 1978 elections,” Symm said. Voters must register 30 days in advance for the May 6 elections, he said, so if the court decides by April 6 that Symm can not use the questionnaire, then students can regis ter to vote for the May elections. “I feel like the student will be given the option to vote where he wants to,” Symm said. Students are the only group in the country who have that option, he added. Symm said if the court orders him to allow the students to register without providing any more information, then he will stop using the questionnaire. “I don’t want to go to jail any more than you do,” he said. “We’ve argued our case, they’ve got theirs, now it’s in the hands of the court.” Houston construction under the weather United Press International HOUSTON — Cold, rainy weather in the past six weeks has delayed an esti mated $1.5 billion in construction projects and cost workers an estimated $24 million in lost wages, an industry spokesman said today. “We’ve only had one full day of sun shine in the past six weeks,” said M. A. Graham, executive secretary of the Houston-Gulf Coast Building and Con struction Trades Council. “It’s meant a tremendous loss in wages.” Graham said the foul weather has af fected 20,000 of the 40,000 workers in 17 crafts in the 23-county Texas Gulf Coast area. He said about half those affected work in the Houston area. “Work has really been terrible. Just about all outdoor jobs have shut down,” said Joe Johnson, business manager of Carpenters Union Local 213. He said about 1,000 men out of the 3,400 in the local are out of work. J. O. Dempsey, secretary-treasurer of the Cement Masons Local 681 said all 400 men in his local are out of work. “We won’t work again until the grass turns green,” Dempsey said. “How can we work in freezing weather and rain?” About $15 million in construction on 10 projects has been held up at the Port of Houston, officials said. Dick Lewis, executive director of the Associated General Contractors of America, said construction work has slowed down 50 percent since a month ago, while all new projects have been brought to a halt. “Many construction companies haven’t hit a lick since November. There has been a significant amount of money in terms of payroll and of time lost in completion of jobs.” Lewis said. Students eligible to vote here u ■P ts By KAY WALLACE Students may register to vote in Brazos unty for the upcoming city and county actions. To register, a voter must be at least 18 oter registration ertificiates expire t end of month Instead of trying to figure out who’s toning for what, the first thing a prospec- *6 voter needs to do is check his voter igistration certificate and see if it has ex ited. Bill McLeod, president of Texas Voting Istems Inc., said, “We expect there will j^-i^adrop (in registration) because this is iyy' to end of the two-year period.” The current registration certificate, a ^| te card, expires Feb. 28 of this year. # ! lie new certificate being issued, a yellow ^ ird, expires Feb. 28, 1980. Texas Voting Systems Inc. is a private rm which contracts with Brazos County provide voter registration services and ipply the printed ballots for the elec- Jns. | To vote in the May 6 elections, voters tost have the yellow registration certifi- Ite. Those holding the blue certificate Imld receive the new certificate if they 'e at the same address as is printed on e blue certificate. Itlltl years old and live in Brazos County. Stu dents who are registered in their home county must vote in that county unless they choose Brazos County as their official residence. There is no minimum resi dency requirement. If students do register to vote in Brazos County, previous registration in any other county will be automatically cancelled. A voter must register at least 30 days before an election to be eligible to vote in that election. The registration card does not become valid until 30 days after a reg istration form is received by the tax as sessor. Residents must have their applica tions in by April 6 to be able to vote in the May 6 elections. Registration forms are available in the student government office in the MSG. Thirty-four candidates filed for county office by the Feb. 6 deadline. Primaries will be held May 6 for the November general elections. New officials will take office in January 1979. Candidates are as follows: DEMOCRATIC PARTY District Judge: W. T. McDonald Jr. — William R. Vance District Attorney: Travis D. Bryan III — Roland M. Searcy Jr. County Attorney: John M. Barron Jr. — O. E. Elmore Judge, County Court-at-Law J. Bradley Smith County Judge: Steve Garza Jr. — R. J. Holmgreen Thomas A. Janik — Lloyd Joyce Royce Watson County Clerk: Frank Boriskie District Clerk: W. D. Burley County Treasurer: Billie V. Elkins County Tax Assessor-Collector: Gregory M. Rodriguez — Gerald L. “Buddy” Winn County Commissioner, Precinct 2: F. J. Conrad — George R. Dunn Jr. Walter Wilcox — Glynn A. Williams Jr. County Commissioner, Precinct 4: W. A. “Bill” Stasny Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1: Clyde W. Day — John R. Dockery Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3: Jerry Hutchinson Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4: Place 2: Carolyn Hensarling Frank Kahn Joe M. Marin Frank J. Nemec Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5: Joe Daniel Novosad Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7: Place 2: A. P. Boyett Jr. REPUBLICAN PARTY County Judge: W. R. (Bill) Owens — John Raney County Tax Assessor-Collector Edward W. Valenta Strrrretch\ Battalion photo by Jan Williaim Rainy days may curtail outdoor exercise sessions, but women in the Corps of Cadets found a way out. Spence Hall became a fitness center for members of W-l Wednesday, and the only prob lem came when someone wanted to walk through the first floor of the dorm. VEMwnnn -J KOSS ... KENWOOD ~ SANSUI ^