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A turn for the better
John McCarthy, a junior economics major from
Houston, takes advantage of recent sunny weather
to practice his skateboarding technique. McCarthy
finds the sport challenging and a good excuse to get
outdoors. With the weather taking a “better turn,”
more and more students are seen participating in
outdoor activities.
Battalion photo by Steve Lee
By CHERYL HICKMAN
A chemical engineering professor from
the University of Texas says there is no way
the United States can be producing
enough energy by 1985 to be self-
sufficient.
“People have made rules that have
shackled energy producers,” said Dr. John
McKetta, who spoke to an audience of
about 60 Tuedsay night in Rudder Tower.
McKetta’s talk was sponsored by Great Is
sues.
McKetta said restrictive laws set up by
Congress and the Environmental Protec
tion Agency must be changed.
Environmental standards need to be re
vised so energy producers can find new
sources of fuel, and energy users can get
the most benefit out of the available re
sources, he said.
McKetta suggested that there must be a
level of pollution that everyone can live
comfortably with. Ne labeled this level of
pollution as the “clean, odorless” level.
At this level there would be about 500
particles of pollution per million particles
of air or water. McKetta said this is the
approximate pollution level of Austin. He
also said that if this was the allowable level
of pollution “we could bum 94 percent of
the coal in West Virginia” and still be
within the 500 parts per million limit.
McKetta said many people still don’t be
lieve there is an energy crisis. He said
they tend to measure the energy shortage
by the amount of time they have to wait in
line to buy gasoline;
McKetta blamed this misconception on
the federal government saying President
Carter and Congress are misinforming the
American people that there is plenty of
energy.
McKetta presented graphs showing a
decline in U.S. oil production from 1973
to 1977. These graphs show that as of Feb
ruary 1, 1973, the U.S. was producing
10.97 million barrels of oil per day. By
February 1, 1977, that figure had dropped
to 9.63 million barrels per day.
Accordingly, the amount of imported oil
increased from 5.86 million barrels per
day in 1973 to 10.29 million barrels per
day in 1977.
McKetta said importing oil is bad
business because the U.S. cannot afford
to buy the quantities of oil needed at the
present cost of $13 per barrel. He con
tended that because the U.S.treasury
doesn’t have the money on hand they sim
ply print more. This causes a fantastic in
flation rate and a rapid devaluation of
American currency on the foreign mar
kets, McKetta said.
McKetta was a chairman of the National
Energy Policy Committee under the
Nixon Administration, and labels himself
as a proponent of coal and nuclear power.
He said that in 1970 he recommended to
Nixon that the production of coal be dou
bled and that 1000 nuclear reactors be in
operation by the year 2000. Evidently
Nixon agreed with this plan, but was un
able to get any support from the American
people, he said.
McKetta blamed that great Nobel-
Prize winning scientist Ralph Nader ’ for
the lack of nuclear power development.
Nader came out opposing nuclear energy
because of the possible safety hazards in
volved. Because of Nader, he said, people
withdrew the one time strong support
they had shown for nuclear power.
McKetta was not optimistic about the
future. He said if the Carter energy plan
isn’t drastically changed the U.S. won’t be
producing any more oil by 1985, but con
sumers will be using more. McKetta pre
dicted that by 1983 the problem of energy
could be bad enough to cause “a great so
cial upheaval” and possibly a revolution.
University awarded
$37,800 for airport
Texas A&M University has been
awarded a $37,800 grant by the Federal
Aviation Administration to finance com
pletion of a master plan for Easterwood
Airport, U.S. Rep. Olin E. (Tiger) Teague
announced today.
An updated master plan is a prerequi
site in any FAA consideration of request
for federal funds for improvements at a
local airport, noted Texas A&M officials.
A $1.3 million expenditure has been
proposed for the first phase of im
provements at Easterwood, which is
owned and operated by the university but
serves Bryan, College Station and the sur
rounding area.
Texas A&M officials expressed belief
that the timely approval of the FAA grant
for master planning was prompted by the
recent show of financial support for Eas
terwood improvements by officials of
Bryan, College Station and Brazos
County.
First-phase improvements include
leveling of the alternate runway, sealing of
runway surfaces, additional ramp space
and improved runway lighting.
The main item in the second phase will
be extension of the instrument runway.
Approximately $2.5 million will be re
quired to cover costs for both phases,
Texas A&M officials said. They anticipate
that 80 percent of the funds will be
provided by the FAA.
Hobby favors zero-based
budgeting, ‘sunset’ law
Till V
ivei
ase transferred
GSSO lawsuit is before court after year of waiting
By GREG PROPPS
[Just over a year ago, on Feb. 28, 1977,
Gay Student Services Organization
jSSO) filed suit in a federal district court
[ainst Texas A&M University, in an at-
mpt to become a recognized student or-
nization.
Now, after a year’s grind through legal
achinery, that suit is before the 5th fed-
al circuit court of appeals in New Or-
ans. The case was officially transferred
om Houston to New Orleans on Jan. 9,
marking the latest development in
tie GSSO’s nearly two-year effort to
lain campus recognition.
Their fight began in April of 1976, after
io representatives of the then newly
irmed organization were confronted by
three male students, while posing notices
of the GSSO telephone hotline on Univer
sity bulletin boards. One of the students
reportedly brandished a switchblade, and
the GSSO representatives were told to
stop distributing their flyers and to re
move any they had already posted.
Following this incident, the GSSO
applied to Carolyn Adair, director of stu
dent activities, for official recognition as a
student organization. This recognition
would have assured the GSSO the right to
distribute and post notices on University
property. It would have also given them
the right to bring speakers on gay lifestyles
to the University, as well as provide a
place to have the presentations. With offi
cial recognition goes the implied right to
have office space on campus. At present,
the GSSO is operating out of a rented of
fice space off campus.
. Adair witheld a decision and passed the
GSSO request on to Dr. John Koldus, vice
president for student services. Koldus
held their request under advisement for
eight months, and then denied it on Nov.
29, 1976. In his letter of rejection, Koldus
wrote “Homosexual conduct is illegal in
Texas and therefore it would be most in
appropriate for a state institution to offi
cially support a student organization which
is likely to encite, promote and result in
acts contrary to and in violation of the
penal code of the state of Texas. ’
Paragraph 68 of the Texas A&M Univer
sity Regulations states that “Student or-
i4)ean of Business Administration
to take teaching position in fall
By MICHELLE SCUDDER
Dr. John E. Pearson, dean of business administration at
exas A&M University, will no longer serve as dean of the
allege, effective Sept. 1.
In an official letter to his colleagues, Dr. Pearson said, “Last
Xlober I initiated a conversation with President Miller about
he type of business administration program he wanted, and
lossible organizational changes. That conversation was con-
luded Feb. 3 with the mutual agreement that I would no
onger serve as dean effective Sept. 1.”
Dr. Pearson is currently planning to remain on the faculty
>s a professor-of management.
In an interview Thursday, Texas A&M President Jarvis
E Miller said, “Dr. Pearson had a heart attack last year. With
the growth of the college’s enrollment it looked like a big work
load under those circumstances. We are looking for some real
growth in that area so it looked like a change would be in
order.
We would like to see Dr. Pearson’s experience and exper
tise utilized as a member of our faculty, ” President Miller said.
He is an excellent teacher.”
In a separate interview Friday, Dr. Pearson said, “Al
though I had a heart attack last summer I have completely
recovered and this is not a factor in my resignation.” Dr. Pear
son made no further comment on circumstances concerning his
departure.
According to a University News Service press release, Dr.
Miller and Vice President for Academic Affairs J.M. Prescott
will be meeting soon with department heads in the College of
Business Administration to outline a plan for selecting Dean
Pearson’s successor.
We intend to seek a dean with national recognition to make
the Texas A&M business program pre-eminent in the state,”
Dr. Miller said.
Dr. Pearson came to Texas A&M in 1963 as professor of
business and director of the school of business administration.
Because of enrollment increases and curricula expansion, the
business administration school was awarded full college status
in 1968, and Dr. Pearson was appointed dean.
“The College of Business has made some tremendous prog
ress,” Dr. Pearson said. “It has increased greatly in quantity
but the biggest strides have been in quality.
“In 1963 the business school was least in academic standards
according to the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores. In 1974
the college was one of the top three of four according to the test
scores. Dr. Pearson said.
“Our masters and doctoral students had better Graduate
Enrollment Exam (GRE) scores than any of the other colleges, ”
he said.
“According to a recent business magazine survey Texas
A&M’s business college is rated third in the South Central
region of the U.S.,” he said.
Dr. Pearson, who considers himself a student-oriented ad
ministrator, has received many student awards.
Among these are the Honors Award from the Accounting
Society at Texas A&M and the Outstanding Administrator
Award from the Business Administration Student Council,
both in 1977. He also has received the Distinguished Service
Award from the Memorial Student Center Council and Direc
torate in 1971.
Dr. Pearson has been active in business administration ac
creditation activities on a national level. He was appointed to
the visitation panel of the American Association of Collegiate
Schools of Business in 1972. Two years later he was named to
that organization’s masters accreditation committee. He also
was appointed in 1974 to the executive committee of the
Southern Business Administration Association, and currently
serves that organization as vice president.
ganizations may be officially recognized
when formed for purposes which are con
sistent with the philosophy and goals that
have been developed for the creation and
existence of Texas A&M University.”
Feeling their constitutional rights had
been violated by the rejection, three
members of the GSSO, Michael Minton
(past president), Keith Stewart, and Pat
ricia Woodridge, filed the original suit in
federal court in Houston. None of the
three are currently enrolled at Texas
A&M.
Named in that suit were Texas A&M
University, John Koldus, Chancellor Jack
K. Williams, executive vice president
Clyde Freeman, and each of the Texas
A&M regents.
There was no official decision at the dis
trict court level, as the case was dismissed
by the court on procedural grounds on
Nov. 2, 1977. On Nov. 29, 1977, the mo
tion for appeal was filed.
Minton said that he expects to wait
three to six months for a decision in the
motion for appeal, or for a position on the
docket for oral arguments.
The apellate court in New Orleans is re
viewing only the legal procedures of the
suit and not the actual issues. If the apel
late court decides the procedures were in
appropriate and there is a cause for action,
it will send the case back to the Houston
court for a decision on the original issue.
Minton pointed out that the GSSO is
strictly a service organization. Its main
function is to provide a referral for speak
ers on gay lifestyles to interested groups,
and provide a professional counseling serv
ice to deal with gay-related problems or
questions. There is also a telephone hot
line through which interested persons can
get in touch with the GSSO. At present
the hotline is being moved to another loca
tion, but Minton expects it to be in opera
tion within a few weeks. The GSSO does
not sponsor parties or social functions of
any type, he said.
Minton also said that although the term
“gay connotes homosexuality, it is also a
political label refering to those who are
“willing to accept another person’s sexual
or affectual preference, whether it be
heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual," or au-
tosexual.” As a political activist, a
hererosexual or “straight” person can still
be correctly termed a “gay” or can fight for
gay liberation. Minton said that several of
the 25 GSSO members are heterosexual.
(See GSSO, page 6)
Texas Lt. Gov. William P. (Bill) Hobby
said Tuesday he is strongly in favor of
zero-based budgeting and wants to see it
continued.
Hobby spoke to approximately 100
Texas A&M University students and fac
ulty at a 30-minute lunch-time session
sponsored by the Political Forum Com
mittee of the Memorial Student Center.
“Zero-based budgeting is a great deal
more work and paper work,” Hobby said.
“But, I am firmly convinced the concept is
working and saving the people of Texas
money.”
The way zero-based budgeting works is
not too different from a menu in a restaur
ant, he said.
“On the one side you have the program
that is budgeted and on the other is the
cost involved in funding it. It makes it very
easy to see what the thing costs, and
where we can cut costs. It really allows the
legislators to be more aware.
On other subjects, Hobby was asked if
he would like to see the topic of annual
sessions for legislators come back up again.
“Annual sessions would be nice,” he
admitted. “But I think the people have
told us enough times they don’t want
them. After all, they have voted them
down the last four times they have been on
the ballot. I think we’ve learned our les
son,” he said.
The Lt. Gov. was asked his views on the
new “sunset,” law which has recently gone
into effect. Under this law, the state
mortician’s board is being investigated.
“I believe the sunset law is a promising
technique and a good way for us to possi
bly cut some corners. I think it has a bright
future and I support its existence very
strongly, he said.
No smoking in the library?
Wrong. There’s a haven for those who enjoy the pleasure of tobacco
and don’t choose to chew. A smoking room is located in the southwest
corner of the third floor of the Sterling Evans library'. George
Lenehan, a graduate educational psychology major, takes advan
tage of the “smokers only” study room. Battalion photo by David Koahcy