.1
The Battalion
Vol. 71 No. 111
8 Pages
Monday, March 6, 1978
College Station, Texas
News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
Inside Monday:
A time to talk, p. 2.
Coips commanders named, p. 5.
Ags drop two to Houston, p. 8.
Insufficient funds: major
setback for women’s dorm
tartw
a m;
tin »
lct'|) i:
play I
learn
•kett,
ltd Ak
trka
srctilk
Buttalion photo by Ken Herrera
Freshman Tom Hix of Squadron Nine wears the medals and diamonds of
a Corps senior — but only for a day. Hix was one of 20 “fish” who were
officers of the day for Saturday’s Elephant Bowl. Elephant refers to Texas
A&M University seniors during their final semester in school.
By LINDA SULLIVAN
It’s an ‘all talk and no action’ situation
with the proposed Texas A&M University
women’s athletic dorm, and lack of money
seems to be the major setback.
About a year ago, former student Don
Morris of Houston donated $400,000 to be
used for the advancement of the women’s
athletic program. Previously, the Univer
sity athletic council had considered the
construction of a women’s athletic dormi
tory with the significant increase of women
athletes. With Morris’ contribution, the
talking stage of planning began. Athletic
Council Chairman Charles Samson says
the council is now ready for “phase two:
finding the extra money.” Council mem
bers have not yet approached the Univer
sity Board of Regents with an official pro
posal; but Kay Don, assistant athletic di
rector for women, anticipates the program
of requirements to be submitted within
the next two board meetings, which
should occur before the end of the present
semester.
“We are still checking for other possible
sources of income,” says Samson. While
the University might be in a position to
support conventional dorm housing, the
added expenditures required to make the
dorm comparable to Wofford Cain Hall,
the men’s athletic dorm, might not be
readily justified.
“Rather than trim down the quality of
what we want, we’d like the additional
funds to add some embellishments we
think would be assets to our women’s pro
gram,” Samson said.
The old Texas A&M University presi-
lephant Bowl raises $12,000
Army defeats Air Force 27-20
In Corps jargon “Crunchies” stands for Army cadets and “Air
By AVA KING
The weather was perfect for football Saturday as the “Crun-
iies ’ defeated the “Air Craps” 27-20 in the Seventh Annual
Elephant Bowl Classic held in Kyle Field.
.'Jr In Corp
Gaps refers to Air Force cadets.
” ■The Elephant Bowl, a project of the Wings and Saber Soci-
DQb pits seniors from Army, Navy, and Maiine units of the
■orps of Cadets against seniors from the Air Force and the
\ T( is Aggie Band. The game is played on the last weekend of
'ijebruary or the first weekend of March each year.
■ Admission to the game is $1 and proceeds go to local
clarities. The $12,000 plus that was raised from ticket sales will
Be donated to the Brazos Valley United Fund.
Rumors were circulating that the bowl game may be discon-
nued because not enough money was being raised for the
Parity. Terry Stanislav, president of the Wings and Saber So-
ety, said that this is not the case.
“Financially we re doing great,” he said.
“Over $15,000 was donated to the Brazos Valley Rehabilita-
|on Center last year,” Stanislav said, “That’s more than the
last three years combined.”
One hundred and sixty seniors tried out for the teams. The
umber of prospects had to be cut in half, and there were only
|0 players on each team. Uniforms and pads were provided by
be Texas A&M athletic department and helmets were bor-
owed from A&M Consolidated High School.
Both teams are coached by Texas A&M varsity football
players. This year’s coaching staff for the Air Force-Band team
consisted of Phil Bennett, Frank Myers, David Walker, Ralph
Barrett and Jim Kocurek. The winning Army, Navy, Marine
(ANM) team was coached by Mark Dennard, Steve Spitzen-
berger, Kevin Monk, Mike McCormack and Don Wright. The
bowl game gives the Aggie football players a chance to see what
it is like to be in the coaches’ shoes, said Stanislav.
The team members and coaching staff weren’t the only ones
who got a chance to stand in someone else’s shoes. Each team
supplies their own yell leaders in the form of “fish” or freshmen
cadets. The 20 officers of the Day, dressed in midnights (dark
dress shirts) with sabers strapped to their sides and a multitude
of borrowed medals and ribbons pinned to their chests, were
also freshmen.
Saturday’s victory made a total of five wins for the ANM
team in the bowl’s history. Air Force won their only game in
1975 and the game was tied 0-0 in 1973.
ANM had 123 yards total rushing on 38 carries and gained
147 yards on passing. AF-B had 75 total yards rushing on 37
carries and 105 yards passing. Leading rusher for the game was
ANM’s Brad Garrett of Marlin with 68 yards on 18 carries.
AF-B’s leading rusher was Larry Brown of Portland with a total
of 40 yards on 12 carries. ANM’s Gene Kubecak of Palacios lead
in passing with 15 attempts and nine completions good for 123
yards. AF-B’s leading passer was David Hatridge of Corpus
Christi with 14 attempts, eight completions and one intercep
tion for a total of 105 yards.
Strike continues
Carter ready to force miners back to work
United Press International
WASHINGTON-The United Mine
Workers’ overwhelming vote against a
contract to end their 91-day strike ap
peared to be forcing President Carter to
nvoke the Taft-Hartley Act today to order
hem back to work.
Carter planned to discuss his decision
ivith his Cabinet first, then brief congres
sional leaders before going on television to
innounce his decision. Time is running
out. Administration officials say millions of
people could be put out of work within
weeks if the coal strike continues.
One source suggested Carter would in
voke the labor law in an effort to send
160,000 coal miners back to work tem
porarily while making preparation for
additional action, such as asking Congress
for authority to seize the mines.
Chairman Frank Thompson, D-N.J., of
the House labor-management subcommit-
Flu may strike older
adults, scientists say
United Press International
ATLANTA — Although the Russian flu apparently has struck only young people
under 25 since it hit the United States, federal health experts think it may eventu
ally attack adults over that age.
That theory stems from past behavior of the Russian strain — which caused
worldwide epidemics between 1947-57 — and the pattern followed by other flu
epidemics, officials said Saturday.
Meanwhile, the National Center For Disease Control in Atlanta has said re
search indicates that persons who received swine flu shots in the 1976 national
imunization program may have some added protection against the A-U.S.S.R.
strain.
The CDC studies have demonstrated the swine flu vaccine gives a “booster”
effect to an individual’s antibody defense against Russian flu, a distant “cousin”
antingenically to the swine flu virus.
The Russian flu was first detected in the United States during the second week
of January. The CDC has had no reports of anyone over 25 being infected with the
A-U.S.S.R. virus.
The virus was first reported surfacing last year in the Soviet Union where an
epidemic peaked in about five or six weeks. People under 23 were the primary
targets.
The CDC researchers speculate the Russian strain may be following a pattern
similiar to two other epidemics in the last 20 years.
But CDC researchers, l>asing their theories on past behavior, believe the
A-U.S.S.R. will replace current flu strains and remain the principal influenze
culprit for the next 8-10 years. And in that time, it will single out older Americans
as victims.
Because of exposure to the A-U.S.S.R. virus 20-30 years ago, many people over
25 have natural antibody protection agaisnt the Russian flu, with the degree of
protection waning in the older age brackets.
dents’ home-site, directly across the street
from the All Faith’s Chapel, is the planned
construction area for the dorm. Plans
exclude dining facilities due to the prox
imity to Sbisa dining hall.
“The absence of a dining hall within the
dormitory is not considered a shortcoming,”
says Samson. Kay Don agrees, adding that
the cost per girl would be too expensive
to justify a separate dining hall.
The new dorm capacity will be 125 beds
with specialized rooms for training and
tutoring. A game room and study area is
also under consideration similar to those of
Krueger Hall in the Commons dormitory
complex.
“It’s supposed to be just as nice as Cain,
but with a feminine touch,” says senior
physical education major Susan Smerick.
Administrators tend to pass the buck
when queried over the project, but wait
ing for those bucks is a reason they com
monly give for the delay.
“Nobody knows where the rest of the
money is coming from. That’s why it hasn’t
been built,” says Wally Groff, assistant
athletic director for business affairs.
“It’s all in the hands of the project coor
dinator, Marvin Tate,” says Paul
Stephens, director of facilities in the plan
ning division.
Co-project coordinators are Marvin Tate
and Kay Don. Tate says the planning
stages are too crude at this point for any
specific comments. Don terms the entire
project as in a “holding pattern” until suf
ficient funding can be obtained.
“The plans are certainly no secret,” says
Samson, “we re just at a very fuzzy stage. ”
Samson says the athletic council has acted
in a logical progression of steps concerning
the project. First, the type of facility de
sired was identified. Then, the location
was specified. The next step involves seek
ing approval from the Board of Regents to
solicit outside financial aid. “We haven’t
wanted to get on the agenda for the Board
of Regents until we are prepared with the
exact facts,” Samson said. “Our only hope
would be to contact interested individuals
for contributions, such as the former stu
dents.”
Don says ground breaking should take
place within a year, but “that’s being very
optimistic,” she says. No bids have been
taken for the architecture. All preliminary
planning has been undertaken by Univer
sity architects based upon standard rules
of thumb for cost and design.
Once completed, a women’s athletic
dormitory on the Texas A&M University
campus will be the first of its kind in the'
nation and women athletes are anxious.
“I know it will be a big recruiting factor
— both the dorm and Ms. Don,” says
Smerick, “A&M is one of the few schools
that really shows a lot by the way they
treat their women athletes. ”
California digs out of destruction
United Press International
LOS ANGELES — Another devastat
ing storm that killed at least 28 persons in
Southern California and Mexican border
towns was gone today, but seaside resi
dents in Malibu still contended with rag
ing seas in front of them and mudslides in
back.
Forecasters predicted high seas up to six
feet that could still carve away foundations
of expensive homes in the Malibu Colony
owned by such celebrities as Linda
Ronstadt and Burgess Meredith.
At least eight persons were reported
dead in Southern California and 20 more
in Baja California, Mexico. At least four
others were missing.
More than 600 home in Los Angeles and
Ventura counties were damaged, many
severely.
Hardest hit were houses in the subur
ban San Fernando Valley, where severe
flooding and mudslides caused most prob
lems, arid in Fillmore where the usually
tame Sespe Creek roared through a hous
ing tract.
The National Guard helped Malibu res
idents fight tides of 5.7 feet and swells up
to eight feet. Seas destroyed the porch of
Meredith’s home and washed away eight
feet of Miss Ronstadts’s property, although
no damage was reported to her house.
Comedian Flip Wilson helped colony
residents, many of them entertainment
figures.
“1 expect to be here today and tomorrow
to do whatever I can to help these people
save their homes,” Wilson said.
Many roads were closed, especially in
the mountain canyons of Los Angeles, and
several communites throughout Southern
California were completely isolated. Many
people had to be rescued by helicopters.
The storm poured 3.30 inches of rain at
the Los Angeles Civic Center, bringing;
the season’s total to 30.02 inches, almost
three times normal. Measurements were
higher in the mountains and foothills.
But the outlook was brighter today. The'
National Weather Service predicted a few
scattered showers in the mountains but
said “the likelihood of arty heavy showers
seems to be over.”
Regents request railroads
to consider moving tracks
Officials of Southern Pacific and
Missouri Pacific Railroads are being for
mally asked by the Texas A&M University
System Board of Regents to initiate a study
of the feasibility of moving the tracks
which now split the campus.
The board, acting on the suggestion of
Texas A&M Chancellor Jack Williams, au
thorized preparation of a resolution re
questing the two railroads explore possibi
lities for moving the tracks to “some less
hazardous location and pledges the re
gents cooperation in such an endeavor.
The resolution citris traffic and noise
problems, as well as the aspects of danger
ous cargos and possibility of accidents.
“Steadily increasing traffic of long
freight trains constitutes a hazard to veh
icular and pedestrian traffic, and a noise
problem detrimental to teaching and re
search processes,” the document notes,
“and dangerous cargos and possibility of
derailments and other accidents, however
remote, create a risk to life and property in
the University area.”
Texas A&M officials point out that
planned development of the campus west
of the railroad would place the tracks in
the center of the campus, rather than on
the periphery, as was the case when they
were installed. Even under present condi
tions, dormitories and classroom and labo
ratory buildings are in “immediate prox
imity to the tracks, they note.
Copies of the resolution are being sent
to the chairmen of the boards of Southern
Pacific Co. and the Missouri Pacific Corp.,
B.F. Biaggini and D.B. Jenks respec
tively, and to appropriate governmental
groups on the state and national levels.
tee has a bill ready for action. Speaker
Thomas P. O’Neill said over the weekend
the House could vote in a week.
Senate GOP leader Howard Baker said:
“I will support him (Carter) in any reason
able request that he makes to try to get
coal back into production.”
Frank Moore, Carter’s chief lobbyist,
said “I don’t think we re going to have to
ask for new legislation,” indicating at least
the first step would be Taft-Hartley.
Either seizure or enforced mediation
would require congressional action.
Energy Secretary James Schlesinger
said Sunday, “If we cannot get a national
agreement I believe that we will have re
gional or company by company bargaining
that will get the miners back to work.”
But most officials feared the angry and
divided UM W would force new confronta
tions.
They began voting Friday, 28 years to
the day after Harry Truman ordered fed
eral seizure of the nation’s coal mines in a
similar standoff. The actual seizure in that
case, however, was averted.
The UMW has 794 locals and 693 of
them sent results to Washington by mid
night Sunday. A total of 79,753 (69.7 per
cent) voted against ratification and 34,689
(30.3 percent) voted for the contract.
Under Taft-Hartley, Carter must de
clare the strike “a threat to the national
health and safety” and get a court injunc
tion ordering the miners back to work for
80 days.
During that period, negotiations with
the Bituminous Coal Operators Associa
tion would reopen under government
supervision and with a government com
mittee studying the issues. After two
months, the miners vote again on the
owners’ last offer and the National Labor
Relations Board counts the votes.
If the miners do no accept it, the attor
ney general must ask the court to lift the
injunction and the strike would be on
again.
Crystal Gayle: ‘best
of both pop and country’
By LIZ NEWLIN
Battalion Staff
Crystal Gayle was told that Aggie
audiences like to make “weird
noises,” but the main sounds she’ll
remember from Friday’s perform
ance are applause and whoops.
Some have called Brenda Gail
Webb Gatzimos the “next female
superstar in country music,” and
she proved in G. Rollie White Col
iseum that she may be one of the
best female singers in both pop and
country.
Standing, stomping ovations
called her back for three encores —
one when even her band had left the
stage.
She sang what the audience ex
pected, changing the mood by mix
ing sad heart-breaking country
songs with upbeat rock. Crystal’s
well-trained voice sounded fresh
and she seemed to feel each song
anew, especially her hits. The band,
professional but enthusiastic,
matched her well, and their combi
nation on her most recent hit,
“Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes
Blue,” sounded much better than
the studio recording.
The warm-up act was perfect —
priming the 7,000-plus audience
with well-executed rock.
Gene Cotton, a young writer-
singer who has “almost made it”
several times, invested much
energy in love ballads and social
commentary songs. He played well
to the college audience, identifying
himself as a political science major
and recalling common experiences
in a funny monologue on the differ
ences between the ways mothers
and fathers paddled their offspring
during the “child-beating era.”
Crystal began nervously, but soon
she warmed to the audience and re
laxed — entertaining herself, the
band and the audience with her
singing.
The Town Hall performance was
Crystal’s first before a college
crowd, and the singer appeared
pleased with the outcome during an
Crystal Gayle
Battalion photo by Pat O’Malley
interview given after signing autog
raphs.
“It was great,” she said. Crystal
sat primly on a folding metal chair in
the bright dressing room, which was
decorated only by nine red roses in
a vase sent with a dozen before the
concert.
“The South is certainly different
from the North, she said, noting
the audience’s enthusiastic re-
(See Gayle, page 3)