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The Battauon
Vol. 71 No. 112
8 Pages
UT student government
not abolished, officer says
Tuesday, March 7, 1978
College Station, Texas
News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
r
Inside Tuesday
Time for Kyle Field concerts, p. 2.
Book mutilators attack the stacks, p.
5.
Mark Patterson: Another night at
the fights, p. 8.
Jorful Sl.H
ds and
Battalion photo by Teresa Roach
Aggie mascot Reveille IV joins some of her friends in the Singing Cadets,
jjjj Many of the members say they like it when she comes to practice,
Jecause she has more volume than anyone in the group.
UGH
Bryan
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A female singing
cadet? Not exactly
By LYNN BLANCO
The Singing Cadets, a 55-member male singing group at Texas A&M
University has finally allowed females to join.
Well, not exactly. But Aggie mascot Reveille IV does come to Singing Cadet
practice, and she sometimes raises her voice in song.
“She is a soprano and is definitely a change,” says Barry Moak, publicity
manager for the Singing Cadets.
“She’s got more volume than anyone in the group.”
Reveille made her debut with the group last semester when Brad Moon,
a sophomore from Corps Unit E-2, brought her to an open rehersal.
"It was weird,” he says. “I didn’t keep her on a leash and she ran to all the
people who were watching us sing. He says that later, when the drummer
started playing, “Rev” joined in with the singers.
Jeff Gruetzmacher has the distinction of being the Corps’ only mascot
corporal.
Gruetzmacher says he isn t sure if Reveille had any real talent, hut notes that
"she started howling and carrying on when they (the Singing Cadets) started to
sing.’ But Reveille’s activities aren’t restricted to Corps life. There are 10
cadets in the Singing Cadets and that’s enough reason for her to attend prac
tice.
His job in E-2 is taking care of Reveille, and Gruetzmacher said his unit will
he selecting someone to take his place next year. That person will have to take
Reveille home for the summer, and should probably have a lot of yard space.
Freshmen in E-2 are candidates for the job of mascot corporal.
Many of the singers say they like it when Reveille comes to practice. Moon
said the only problem is that the dog becomes overly friendly and Moon is
afraid she may he picked up by a stranger.
The men’s voices range from first tenor to bass, and once in awhile they are
accompanied by Reveille “singing” soprano.
By PAIGE BEASLEY
Battalion Staff
Student government at the University
of Texas (UT) has not been abolished,
despite results of a student opinion poll
taken last week during the elections of
student government officers.
The option on the ballot favoring
abolishment won by a 2,644 to 2,458 mar
gin. The option was to abolish the student
association providing that a referendum
will be held when a new constitution is
devised, said Judy Spalding, president of
the UT student association.
However, this is not binding because
the vote for abolition must be approved by
the Board of Regents, Spalding said. Yet
the association, as representatives of the
student body, must present the proposal
to the Board.
Students were given four other non
binding options on the ballot. The first op
tion which said the student association
would remain the same received 635
votes. The second, which proposed that a
new constitution prepared by the Student
Associaton Restructuring Committee
(SARC) be enacted had 343 votes. A con-
stitutionai commission was called ior by
the third option, to revise the association’s
structure while remaining essentially the
same (1,035 votes.). The fourth option
was, which had 444 votes, “none of the
above. ”
The design of the ballot makes it dif
ficult to decide wlrat students were think
ing when they voted, Spalding said. The
“none of the above” option was probably
interpreted as meaning to the abolishment
of student government altogether, but bas
ically it didn’t express any student feel
ings, she said.
Marc Luzzatto, vice president of the
student association, said the original stu
dent position requested that articles two
through five be deleted from the con
stitution.
Articles two through five are the “meat
of the constitution,” Luzzatto said. The
judicial, legislative and executive branches
are included in these articles, but the
Constitution is still there: the preamble,
membership article and others.
“The intention was to restructure the
organization, not abolish it, he said.
“Abolish is a bad word for delete.
Luzzatto partley blames the organiza
tions lack of credibility on its leadership.
“Her (the president) ineptitude has led
to this in a large part,” he said. “She has
served for a year and done absolutely no
thing. All she has done is accept her
paycheck.
Luzzatto said the president’s salary is
$3,500 per year.
Luzzatto also blamed the UT campus
paper, The Daily Texan, for misleading
publicity. According to a front page arti
cle, he said, Spalding was quoted as saying
that everyone associated with the student
association was a “political hack and re
sume padder.’
“This is ironic coming from someone
who hasn’t done anything all year, he
said.
Spalding said the president is given too
many resposibilities to do a satisfactory
job. The president must attend countless
meetings and assemblies, and speak for
the students everywhere to champion
their rights, she said. But, Spalding said,
IjjBchool Board hires local
architect for field house
i/larce*
,m. I
jge,
By MICHELLE BURROWES
Emmett Trant & Associates, a local ar-
Mectural firm, was hired by the A&M
nsolidated School Board Monday to de-
ugitive hippo’s
mbysitters cost
rvine $1,200 a day
United Press Internationa]
IRVINE, Calif, — Bubbles the fugitive
ippopotamus is in her element — a rain-
>aked, mud-logged pond in the hills,
atched over by babysitters costing about
,200 a day.
“The rains have delayed plans to catch
ubbles,” said Jo Schetter, spokewoman
r Lion Country Safari, a wild animal re-
rve where the two-ton hippo lived until
er third escape Feb. 19.
She said it is costing the park about
1,200 a day to keep rangers posted by the
md around the clock, but not for long.
“We have a plan to catch Bubbles,” park
ice President Jerry Kobrin said Sunday.
I know the plan, you know the plan, but
ubbles doesn’t know the plan.
The plan, which will be implemented
nee the rain stops, is simple enough. Park
ngers will hit Bubbles with a tranquilizer
art and catch her in large airline cargo
ets.
Until then, Kobrin said, “we have a full
complement of rangers there in the event
be decides she might want to take a
stroll."
sign detailed drawings of the field house,
so that bids may be accepted for the con
struction.
The board had hired Simmons As
sociates to draw up estimated costs, but
dismissed the firm when agreements could
not be reached on the costs.
The Safety City Committee got bad
news when the board failed to decide
where the project would be located.
Board trustees could not agree with the
Safety City Committee on a site for the
mini-city designed to teach children traffic
safety. At the Feb. 20 board meeting the
committee suggested the area on Jersey
Street next to the special services building
as a location for the project. Trustee
William Fitch suggested that another site
on Timber Lane be used.
The Timber Lane site would be more
appropriate because the street traffic
would not create safety problems for the
children getting to and from the mini-city,
'Fitch said.
Sue Keeley, representing the Safety
City Committee, said the site is located in a
more remote area, and would be more
vulnerable to vandalism. Also, the site is
125 feet by 142 feet, which is smaller than
the 150 feet by 150 feet project that has
been planned.
The Safety City Committee will meet
informally with the district s Building
Committee to discuss these sites. The
board had granted the land for the project
Feb. 20, and the College Station City
Council donated $15,000 Feb. 22 for the
creation of Safety City. The project will
when she tries to allocate responsibilites
the senate becomes suspicious.
The existing sturcture, created in 1973,
has outgrown the times, she said.
Another probelem she cited was that
main projects of the association are service
oriented. Students, she said, favor a
student-advocate position as well as
academically-oriented programs.
The abolition movement began about
three weeks before the election, Luzzatto
said. About 40 people wanting to abolish
student government spent hundreds of
dollars to promote the movement.
“Abolitionists,” he said, distributed leaf
lets and talked to many of the student or
ganizations and made a strong lobbying ef
fort. They even hung a banner six floors
long from the Texas tower. He added that
the student association didn’t campaign
against abolition, yet only lost by 186
votes. Luzzatto and Spalding agreed that
most of the abolitionists were students
who had run for an office of the student
association and who lost, and were looking
for a way back in. Some were “people who
bad been burned by the student govern
ment,” Spalding said.
Luzzatto said that the Constructive Al
ternative Movement (CAM), co-founded
in part by Eric Samuelson, wants to revise
the structure and create a nine-member
board.
Samuelson, he added, wants to form a
new system in which all presidential can
didates could win. Samuelson was fairly
confident who would lose the office, and
wanted to find some way into student gov
ernment, Luzzatto said.
Others,such as David Haug, founder of
the Coalition to Retire Aspiring Politicos,
have claimed that student government has
lost its monetary control to the Board of
Regents, and that the association no longer
has power, Luzzato said.
The UT student association has never
had complete control, Luzzatto said.
Funding for student organizations was
made through student government until
about 1975.
All monies from student service fees
were put on the student government
budget, he said. Now funds are more effi
ciently allocated to the departments and
organizations, and each operates on their
own budget.
However, Haug claimed that now stu
dent government has no financial control
over the organizations. “It was all on the
same sheet of paper, but it still went to the
different organizations,” Luzzatto said.
Student government operates on their
own budget of about $45,000 now, most of
which goes for salaries and miscellaneous
expenses, he said. The president, vice
president, secretaries, two administrative
aides, finanaeial director and accounting
clerk are all paid. Salaries are for student
who wouldn’t be able to run for an office
without a part-time job.
“We never had autonomous control
over the fees, the Board of Regents has
always had control,” he said.” All we have
is advisory power, and this is the most
we’ve ever had.”
New officers will come into office on
April 3, but the Board of Regents will not
meet until April 7. During the time lapse,
the association will be at a standstill, with
no spending or actions.
Until the Board of Regents takes action,
the Student Asosciation will act on the
existing structure.
Carter issues order,
miners may not obey
United Press International
WASHINGTON — The formal process
designed to end the 92-day coal strike was
under way today and a federal court order
to miners to return to work is expected
before week s end. But there was no as
surance the miners will obey.
A special three-member presidential
board required by the Taft-Hartley Act to
investigate the strike situation began its
work Monday night after being sworn in
by Labor Secretary Ray Marshall.
A hearing was set for Wednesday with
union, industry and public officials invited
by Chairman John N. Gentry to testify.
The board will report back to President
Carter, who then could ask Attorney Gen
eral Griffin Bell to seek a court restraining
order against the strike.
“The coal strike is three months old,
Carter said in announcing the action
Monday. “The country cannot afford to
wait any longer.”
But Carter’s decision to invoke Taft-
Hartley — the fourth time it has been
used against coal miners — was quickly
rejected by many in the coalfields, who
had voted down a proposed settlement by
a 2 to 1 margin Sunday 7 .
“We hate to go against the president of
the United States, but this is our way of
life,” said Joe Hoskins, president of a
UMW local in Ohio. “They will not go
back to work. There is just no way, bud.
And George Zayae of Homer City, Pa.,
said the miners might go back under a
government seizure, but not Taft-Hartley.
T m willing to stay out another 90 if neces
sary, he said.
Carter’s announcement won quick sup
port from congressional leaders.
Senate Democratic leader Robert By rd,
the son of a miner, said: “I would only say
it is the duty 7 of us all to support the presi
dent.
Senate Republican leader Howard
Baker said, “I intend to support the presi
dent to the extent that it's possible.
Carter’s use of the Taft-Hartley Act was
coupled with a White House threat of
punishment for rank and file union leaders
who defy a court order and a suggestion to
coal operators they give returning miners
the higher wage scale that was included in
the rejected contract.
The Bituminous Coal Operators Associ
ation responded by recommending its
members reopen their mines, but under
conditions of the 1974 contract.
The BCOA executive board said, how-
proceed when the board agrees on a site.
The board postponed action on a liabil
ity insurance policy for board members.
ANCO Insurance representative M.L.
Cashion explained the policy available to
school districts. The policy would cover
claims against board members resulting
from school curriculum, misdirection of
funds, dress code rules, dismissals, and
student or teacher strikes. It would not
cover bodily injury or property damage in
curred by board members. The estimated
cost is $960.
The board decided to postpone action
on the policy until questions regarding
legal wording could be answered. It is un
clear whether the use of tax money to in
sure board members would be legal if an
individual member were sued instead of
the entire board.
Also, if a suit were filed against the
board, the insurance company attorneys
would have the freedom to compromise
tile claim. The board wants the right to
continue the suit despite what the attor
neys might decide to do.
Cashion also discussed insurance
policies for school buses. The district has
had high vehicle losses during the last two
years, he said, and will have a difficult
time finding companies willing to insure
them.
In other action, the board approved the
1978-79 school calendar. As a result of a
change in the required number of school
days made by the Texas Legislature,
school session will be ten days shorter next
year.
tV H (
Mixing with freshmen
can cause punishment
United Press International
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. —
Twelve Air Force Academy up
perclassmen have been ordered to walk
punishment tours and receive demerits
since September for fraternizing with
freshmen cadets of both sexes, an academy
spokesman said Monday.
Male cadets in the senior, junior and
sophomore classes are permitted to
socialize amongst themselves and date the
119 women in the sophomore class, but
are not allowed to fraternize with the
freshmen cadets, including 115 females.
“It’s part of the professional training to
limit the degree of familiarization among
officers and soldiers of lower ranks,” said
the spokeman.
Disciplinary 7 action for violation of the
fraternization code can vary from eight
demerits and four punishments to 50 de
merits and 30 punishments, plus loss of
privileges.
Academy spokeman Will Ketterson said
all the upperclassmen who were punished
during the fall semester by the Comman
dant’s Disciplinary Board admitted break
ing the rules. The offenses were reported
by other cadets.
The lower class cadets involved in the
fraternization incidents also received de-
mertis and punishment tours, he said. No
breakdown was available on how many of
the offenses involved female freshmen
cadets.
Upperclassmen may 7 only converse with
plebes, or freshmen, during mealtimes
and are prohibited from walking, driving
or taking a snack break with the lower class
cadets.
Only the 1,158 males in the freshman
class are permitted to date females in that
class, according to AFA rules.
ever, retroactive wage boosts should be
given to miners who work if a new agree
ment is ratified before the 80-day “cooling
off” period ends.
The BCOA board also called on the gov
ernment and union “to establish a new
bargaining team that enjoys the confi
dence of the membership and that can as
sure BCOA negotiators and the nation that
any new 7 contract recommended by that
team will be acceptable to the member
ship.”
The union s bargaining activitity has
been hampered by internal squabbling,
including efforts by some rank-and-file
members to recall UMW President Arnold
Miller.
MSC Council
approves new
chairmen
The Memorial Student Center Council
approved new committee chairmen and
constitutional revisions during their regu
lar meeting Monday.
Revisions include changing the number
of Directorate student representatives on
the Council from two to three, and adding
student representativ es from several Texas
A&M University organizations.
Representatives from the four class
councils, the Residence Hall Association,
the Off Campus Students Association and
the Corps of Cadets w ill be added to the
Council.
The 20 students selected as chairmen
will assume duties after the April 8 MSC
awards banquet.
Chairmen are: Gina Casas, Aggie
Cinema; Rhonda Reger, Arts; Blake Mac-
kan. Camera; Rebecca Matthews,
Cepheid Variable; Susan Greer, Crafts
and Arts: Enoch Garcia, CAMAC: Katie
Blute, Free University: Jennifer Brock,
Hospitality; Wayne Helton, Outdoor Rec
reation; Jane McGregor, Political Forum:
Patrice Jones, Opera and Performing Arts
Society; Daryl Taraba, SCONA; Doug
Speer, Radio.
Also, Jerry Ruhland, Recreation; Brooks
Herring, Town Hall; Corey Gaskill,
Travel; Ron Robertson, Videotape: Dav id
Bruner, Basement: Eric Banks, Black
Awareness; and Stev e Horn, Great Issues.
“Many qualified candidates applied this
year,” said Sharon Taulman, chairman of
the nominating committee. “There were a
large number of applicants.
She said that new 7 chairmen will be
working with the outgoing committee
leaders to train for their positions.
In other action, the council considered
applications for the position of vice presi
dent for finance, said Taulman.
Marc Young, selected for the office at
the last council meeting, resigned shortly
afterward and two other students,
Elizabeth Hartman and Jeff Mason, hav e
since applied.
The nominating committee delayed
their recommendation and nominations
will remain open until March 23.
The council also approved a budget ex
tension of $275 for the Committee for
Awareness of Mexican American Cultures
(CAMAC). Two speakers were approved
for Political Forum presentations: Ed
mund Fawcett, writer for the Eeonomist
Magazine, and Arthur Avium, vice consu
late for Israel in Houston.
A report from the All-Night Fair showed
a net income of $2,030 and estimated ex
penditures of $2,388. Approximately
$1,750 will remain in the aecount to fund
next year's fair. Fifty-nine recognized stu
dent organizations participated.