Hoard chairman, executive
ommittee members resign
plii chairman of the student senate judi-
/^Board and all members of the execu-
iJMximmittee Monday submitted their
®iations to Robert Harvey, student
president.
icials resigning are Stan Stanfield,
pill board chairman; Geri Campbell,
litive director; Stuart Kingsbery, con
troller; Nancy Bunch, secretary; and Dan
Sullins, director of information.
Their announcements came one day
after similar announcements from Harvey
and Vicki Young, vice president for stu
dent services. A special senate meeting is
scheduled for 7:30 tonight in Room 204
Harrington Education Center. The resig
nations will become effective at the meet
ing.
Stanfield said he s withdrawing to allow
the new student body president to appoint
a new chairman. The others were asked by
Harvey to resign, also to allow the new
student body president a choice.
According to the student body constitu-
Everybody pays for
rea ‘$3.50’ store thefts
By ANDREA VALES
college student would argue that
B.50 is quite a salty sum to pay for a
|k of razor blades or a new shade of nail
psh. But this is only a misdemeanor fine
|criminal offense which is increasing in
er in Bryan-College Station.
Tveryone is capable of stealing,” said
r Bishop, store director for Skaggs-
tsons. “It’s simply a matter of oppor-
ijity He added that most shoplifters
Jvvpy stealing by reasoning that society
1 them something,
m jShoplifters feel society should take care
ahem, even if they don’t take care of
selves,” Bishop said.
Mahnke, assistant manager of The
r. a department store, said, “I’ve found
shoplifters want to get back at society
use they think that society should give
pm something.. .so they steal.
Bishop said the average value of mer-
Bidise stolen from Skaggs is $3.50, al-
fogh he has witnessed thefts ranging
h 15 cents to over $100. The money
appears to be a minor loss to a major food
chain. However, the store is not reim
bursed for the loss of the merchandise and
the fine for the theft is paid to the police
department, not to the store.
The businessman interviewed declined
to give statistics on shoplifting losses.
Bernard Kapella, crime prevention offi
cer for the College Station Police Depart
ment, said that $2.5 billion worth of mer
chandise is stolen across the nation an
nually. He added that five cents of every
consumer’s dollar is used to pay for secu
rity measures in stores.
“The most efficient security measure a
store can take is training its employees to
he alert, said Kapella.
The Fair trains new employees about
shoplifters, and has a re-training program
during busy seasons such as Christmas.
“We train our sales clerks to greet a cus
tomer when he steps into the department
and to recheck him about every five min
utes. This way, a customer knows that he s
being watched and may be a little more
nervous about stealing,” said Mahnke.
hoplifting in local stores:
ike candy from a baby’
[Here in College Station it’s as easy as
ling candy from a baby,” said a Texas
\ University student about shoplift-
lane, (not her real name) has been shop-
!ng for six years and has never been
pt.
11 know 1 11 never be caught because I
fat look like the type of girl who would
•st pick up something and walk out of the
|e with it,” she said. She added that
ier six years she has developed so many
Imiques that she could write a manual
allow to shoplift.
When asked why she felt she had to
uplift, Jane answered, “Why not? Prices
v'jhigh as hell and stores will rip you off
^ lally. I only take what I think I de-
ane felt she deserved credit for never
iling anything from a store on campus.
Iljust couldn’t ever lift anything from
Al because my dad went here and my
pther was in the Corps. School’s hard
Pugh without having something like that
[feel guilty about.”
Her parents can never find out about her
•uplifting because she is over 18, she
|d. The laws require only offenders
Ider 7 years to be reported to their par-
:s.
ane had no qualms about revealing
•nieofher manuevers in shoplifting.
■ One of my favorite tricks is stealing nail
lish with gloves. I just pick up the bot-
I pull off my glove and slip the bottle
|to my glove. Then, I drop the glove in
p purse and no one ever catches on.”
[ The most I ever had enough nerve to
steal was about $120. I saw a long slinky
dress that I really wanted. I knew I
couldn’t afford it, so I just rolled it up and
stuffed it in my purse.” This is her most
common way of stealing clothes from
stores in College Station, she said.
“I only took jewelry once, and I got so
scared that I swore never again. I saw this
emerald ring that I could have afforded
but no one was around and I thought I
could take it. I was drinking a coke, so I
just picked up the ring, coughed, put the
ring in my mouth and then dropped it in
the coke while taking a sip.
Officer Bernard Kapella of the College
Station Police Department considers her
actions that of a professional, but Jane
thinks differently.
“A pro is someone who would take
money from a register, and that s theft, I
could never do that.”
Jane admitts she is sometimes afraid of
getting caught.
“Would you believe that I stuck earrings
in my mouth and almost chocked on one
when I saw a plainclothesman watching
me? I just grinned and asked him where
the ladies room was, and he didn’t watch
me after that.”
“I’m starting to run out of stores,” she
said. Stores recognize your face before
long, so I’m beginning to rotate to several
around town.”
When asked if she will ever stop shop
lifting, Jane said, “I’ll stop sometime, but I
can’t right now. There’s always something
you want in life, and there’s always some
thing you can’t afford.
Although employees can help prevent
shoplifting by being alert. Bishop said that
employees are the major cause of the
thefts at Skaggs.
“We have a big problem with em
ployees stealing because they’re close to
it. It’s easy for them to stick a wad of
money from the register into their pockets
or to sneak merchandise out the back
door.”
Skaggs conducted a study to determine
the number of shoplifters at the store dur
ing one day. A small wire with a small lens
attached was inserted through the ceiling.
Above the ceiling were cameras filming
customers at Skaggs. A count was taken of
the number of people who entered the
store. After studying the films, the man
agement found that one out of 30 people
were shoplifting.
Skaggs now uses plain clothesmen, con
vex mirrors, and security people who
watch customers with binoculars from
windows in the store as new security mea
sures.
Even with these new security devices,
Bishop said that people still find a way to
get the merchandise out of the store. He
added that most women use a purse while
men use their pockets or boots to conceal
merchandise. Some women, he said, even
use inflatable bags that make them appear
pregnant in order to hide merchandise.
Officer Kapella listed several common
methods of shoplifting. He said customers
will:
• Ask to see more merchandise than
the clerk can control.
• Place merchandise between legs and
hold it with their thighs.
• “Accidentally” knock merchandise off
of the counter onto the floor.
• Create a diversion while a partner
steals the merchandise.
• Wear merchandise out of store.
• Carry a hollowed-out book.
• Carry an umbrella with the handle
over the arm.
• Alter price tags during sales.
• Use an oversized purse or one with
a fake bottom.
Kapella added that most college Station
merchants are now pressing charges be
cause the number of shoplifters has in
creased in the past year. Bishop and
Mahnke said their stores press charges
against all shoplifters without a warning
and without asking any questions.
Kapella said even though the majority of
the thefts are misdemeanors, the offender
still receives a permanent crime record.
Misdemeanor thefts are those up to $200.
Any amount over that is considered a
felony.
Kapella said there is a growing number
of students shoplifting.
“They might be getting away with it for
a while, but they’ll be caught, sooner or
later,” he said.
Kapella said that as shoplifting in
creases, the security will become tougher.
Many stores are now using electronic de
vices, such as tags on clothing, to curtail
shoplifting. The tags trigger a buzzer if
they are removed from the store.
tion, the senate may choose a new presi
dent at the meeting by a majority vote.
Candidates for the office are the four re
maining vice presidents: Mike Humphrey,
Allison King, Phil Sutton and Mike
Springer.
Harvey and Young said Sunday they are
resigning at the recommendation of the
senate, which last week requested them to
leave office by a secret vote of 26-24. The
vote was the result of controversy sur
rounding grade point requirements for
student government members. The senate
requested resignations from members
with grades less than 2.000 for last semes
ter.
Harvey and Young posted below 2.0
GPRs for last semester, but their overall or
cumulative GPRs are 2.94 and 3.23, re
spectively.
They contend the cumulative GPR
should be the basis for grade require
ments. They also say that neither the con
stitution nor University Regulations is
clear on the issue.
Kingsbery said he probably would re
fuse his old post if it were offered him by
the new president because he feels the
senators are “hurting themselves and
Texas A&M."
“I feel there s no way they can pick up
the pieces now,” he said. Two assistant
controllers told Harvey they could take
Kingsbery s place if they were offered the
job. Bunch and Sullings said they also
would accept their old posts. Campbell
could not be reached for comment.
Stanfield said Monday that his resigna
tion is voluntary and not politically based.
“I feel the new chief executive officer
should be given the opportunity to appoint
a new chairman of the judicial board,” he
said. Stanfield added that he would accept
the chairmanship if it was offered.
Stanfield said he expected Chris Farmer
to be appointed acting chairman. Farmer
has served longer on the board than the
other members.
Humphrey likely
to be president
By LIZ NEWLIN
Battalion Staff
Mike Humphrey will probably be the next student body president of
Texas A&M University after tonight’s election.
The student body constitution states that the senate “shall select an
interim president from among the five vice presidents by a majority of the
members present and voting. Vicki Young, vice president for student
services, has announced her resignation, so four VPs are left.
After talking with the characters involved and others, Humphrey’s prob
able ascent becomes a simple process of elimination.
No one else is in a position to take the office. Specifically:
•Phil Sutton, the next-most-likely candidate. He’s a graduate student in
agriculture, works, and has a wife. Sutton says he won’t take the job, and
that he’s leaving in May. He also has responsibilities to his Corps unit. His
News analysis
area in student government, external affairs, has been run largely by
senators on the committee. Sutton has been a good administrator, but the
senate has not seen much of him and he has not been a prime leader and
mover at meetings.
•Mike Springer, junior in physical education. He’s VP for finance and has
a tendency to jump up in the middle of senate meetings and make irrelevant
points in his easy-going manner. He’s interested in the budgetary process,
which is in full swing right now, but many feel he doesn’t know much about
it and so can’t be aggressive enough. Springer has no enemies, and he said
honestly and admirably two weeks ago that he doesn’t feel he could accept
the post. His finance job is taking up much of his time and probably will
until mid-April, when new officers take over.
• Allison King, senior in marketing. She’s head of the rules and regulations
committee and assumes an equal share of the work load with committee
members. She works hard and devotes a lot of time to her studies. King
doesn’t seem to have any higher political ambitions, but she said she would
consider accepting the job if offered. The senate probably won’t offer.
•Mike Humphrey, senior in civil engineering, will graduate in May. Last
semester he was very busy interviewing because many companies want
engineers with high grades. It may be the same this semester. As the Corps’
Scholastic Officer, he has many obligations to that group. A rookie in the
senate, he often soothes the more experienced but younger senators with
his slow, deliberate speaking style. His committee, academic affairs, has
been occupied with professor evaluations, and he hasn’t had a chance to
implement many of the ideas he brought to the office. Yet the senate
respects him and will almost certainly elect Humphrey, who says he would
accept the presidency.
What will Humphrey do as interim president? Most feel he’s competent
and dependable, but there’s little hope for any major new programs de
velopments until the next slate of officers is elected. He has many ideas but
so little time — the status quo will be maintained.
As one observer said, “There is no one who will be able to replace Robert
Harvey.”
Tower speech attacks
Carter administration
By KAYCE GLASSE
Lack of a prepared speech didn’t stop
Sen. John Tower Monday night from at
tacking the Carter administration in a tra
ditional Republican fashion.
Sponsored by the Political Forum, the
nationally known senior senator from
Texas discussed energy, federal legisla
tion, the Panama Canal treaties, and the
intelligence communities (CIA and FBI).
The audience of about 125 included stu
dents, faculty, staff members, and citizens
from the Bryan-College Staion area.
Tower said senators who are now unde
cided on the treaties will determine
whether or not they are ratified during the
next five weeks. He added that senate ses
sions will be closed because the issue is
sensitive and involves classified national
security information.
One student asked about the use of
television cameras on the Senate floor.
Tower said that although it sounded like a
good idea at first, he opposes the use of
cameras. Some problems encountered in
televising the debates would be grand-
standing by senators, important debates
“ending up on the cutting room floor,” and
the inconvenience of actual camera set-up.
Tower said he is opposed to ratification
of the treaties because they require that
“we get Panama’s permission to build
other canals.” He cited a possible canal in
Nicaragua as an example.
Turning to the energy issue. Tower
said offshore drilling is good for fishing.
He said marine life growing on oil rigs at
tracts other marine life, and the whole
process leads to good fishing.
Tower said environmental legislation
slows progress when asked about pos
sible pollution from offshore oil drilling.
“If we want pristine air, we should go
back to a pastoral economy in this coun
try,” he said. The senator had no reser
vations about nuclear energy. He said
adequate safeguards and security' would
prevent terrorists from endangering any
nuclear plants.
Tower said he has voted for abortion in
certain instances where rape or incest was
involved, adding that states should have
the right to determine those circum
stances.
He was quick to criticize the Carter
administration for its first year. “For the
life of me, I can’t understand why the pres
ident has steadfastly refused to invoke the
Taft-Hartley Act,” he said. The law could
stop the current coal strike by United
Mine Workers. Tower said he thinks Car
ter’s lack of action on this issue may “crip
ple the nation.”
In lighter discussion, one student asked
the cigarette-puffing Tower how he felt
about the anti-smoking campaign
launched by Joseph Califano,secretary of
Health, Education and Welfare. Through
a veil of smoke from his own cigarette, the
former political science teacher said he re
sents a big-brotherism.” That view is not
restricted to smoking, but also includes
seat belts and “brain buckets” (motorcycle
helmets). He said restraint should be
John Tower
applied to what is injurious to others.
The U.S. senator opposes marijuana,
but he said it should be more of a state
issue than a national issue.
“I don’t think we should oppose severe
penalties,” he said.
Tower was the vice chairman of Spook I,
a committee that reported on the intelli
gence community. “Time has come to let
them go about their businesses,” he said,
adding he that he believes there will be no
more abuse of the CIA or the FBI.
On another topic, he said a mandatory
national health program would “open the
door to socialism.”
Tower answered questions for about an
hour and then chatted with students and
signed autographs.