The Batiatjon
Vol. 71 No. 137
10 Pages
Monday, April 17, 1978
College Station, Texas
News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
Inside Monday
Aggie Parents of the Year, p. 3.
Ags take two from SMU in controv
ersial baseball series, p. 9.
OCSA researches use of shuttle
buses for football games, p. 4.
s\3
special weekend
lonors parents
By CONNIE BURKE
Parents overran the campus this
kend.
rs and campers packed the parking
and some drivers were forced to park
e sidewalks or blocks away from the
us.
bdets wearing red carnations were
en posing for pictures with smiling par-
ats Groups sat in the shade drinking
eer Girls with burned shoulders in sun-
ssses handed food from picnic baskets to
eir families.
One cadet held a little boy who was
|sed in a Corps uniform like his own.
little boy plopped his head on his
id’s shoulder, exhausted after watch-
:he Fish Drill Team exhibition and the
s Review.
ile many of the events honored par-
some of them honored students for
[tanding achievements,
e Thomas S. Gathright Awards were
ented at the Student Government
nts’ Day Program, Sunday. The top
omore, junior and senior in each col-
were honored. Deans of the colleges
ted the winners on the basis of the
test grade point ratios and involvement
e University.
ajor awards for the Corps of Cadets
re also presented at the Parents’ Day
Sgram. The Gen. Bruno Hochmuth
ag for military achievements was
irded to Company D-2. The George
, Jouine Flag for scholastic excellence
nt to Squadron 12. The Gen. George F.
tore Award for the overall outstanding
it was awarded to Company F-2.
The day’s activities began at 7:30 a.m.
th a flower pinning ceremony in the
irps dorm area and lasted into the eve-
with picnics and barbecues,
e School of Military Science also an-
mced the following awards at the pro-
tn:
}adet Colonel of the Corps awards:
chael Gentry
Outstanding Major Unit Commander
«rd: Steven Kolb
Outstanding Battalion award: Rodney
ihm
)utstanding Company-Squadron
umander award: Michael Macmanus
)utstanding Cadet Officer (Staff) award:
re McAnefly
lutstanding Second Classman Cadet
toted for Corps Commander: Robert
nensky
)utstanding Second Classman Cadet
ected for Deputy Corps Commander:
Dtt Patton
Outstanding First Sergeant award: Jere
Swatzell
Outstanding Freshman Cadet award:
Billy Jones
Best drilled sophomore: Michael De La
Garza
Best drilled freshman: Joel Malone
The President’s award for the Battalion
with the highest scholastic standing: Third
Group, commanded by Lt. Col. Charles
D. Nutt
Veterans of Foreign Wars ROTC awards
to an outstanding ROTC Cadet in each
service: Bryan Foy, Andrew Herrman and
Edward Franza
Richard Hanes award presented to the
newly designated advisor to the Fish Drill
Team: Lloyd Walker
Around noon, the Ross Volunteers per
formed at Kyle Field. Their drill demon
strated excellent precision. The women’s
drill team, small in number but great in
accuracy, performed next.
In Kyle Field, the Corps review and the
Fish Drill Team exhibition was accom
panied by the presentation of more
awards:
Outstanding Color Award: First Brigade
Battered Boot award: Company P-2
Overall participation for March to the
Brazos: Squadron 12
Parson’s Mounted cavalry rode in its
final review Sunday and transferred com
mand to juniors. Members of cavalry
began their ceremony by riding their
horses around the field once and then
again at a canter.
Next, the cavalry presented their fancy
serpentine drill. The men rode their
horses in spiral inwards and outwards.
They also ran figure eights. After the
seniors rode the horses, the junior mem
bers took the seniors’ place to symbolize
filling the senior positions.
Harry Wallace is the new commanding
officer of Parson’s Mounted Cavalry.
The Ross Volunteer Company awards
ceremony ended the day’s events.
The RV’s are divided into three platoons
according to height. There are the trees,
the tallest members of the company; the
meatballs, the medium height members;
and the squats, the shortest members.
Outstanding member of the company:
Peter Robredo
Outstanding member of the first platoon
(the trees): Herbert Vanderberry
Outstanding member of the second pla
toon (the meatballs): Mark Tilton
Outstanding member of the third pla
toon (the squats): John Verstegen.
Smoking ‘fire
Battalion photo by Bon Po
The Ohio Players presented their talents before a crowd in G.
Rollie White Coliseum Friday night. The group played loud, funky
music — including their hit “Fire” — amid smoke and flashing
lights. Comedian Larry Breezer opened the show.
Off-campus
Apartment
housing
surplus forecast for fall
By PAM ABBE
Apartments in Bryan-College Station are
beginning to sign leases for the ’78-’79
school year, but according to the off cam
pus housing office there is no need fof stu
dents to rush.
In making fall predictions. Student Af
fairs assistant Brenda Anderson said,
“There should be no shortages of apart
ment whatsoever.’ Anderson attributes
abundant off campus housing to the recent
surge in the building of apartments and
duplexes during the past two years.
“We took two surveys of apartments this
school year, one during October and
another in January and found there were
vacancies in many apartments,’’ Anderson
said.
Anderson said the bulk of the lease
signing for next school term will take place
during the summer. “Many students look
for roommates first so they won’t be stuck
with an apartment and have no roommates
to help pay the rent,’’ she added.
The Hassle Free office, which handles
off-campus housing, provides services to
help students find apartments and room
mates. “The students can come in be
tween 9 a. m. and 5 p.m., Monday through
More than 50 prizes awarded
ambling, showgirls highlight casino
i
By KAREN CORNELISON
Would you bid $71 million at an
auction for a bicycle? You would if
you had won that much in play
money at the Resident Housing As
sociation casino last Friday night.
An evening of gambling was fol
lowed by an auction of more than 50
prizes donated by local merchants.
More than 2,000 people crowded
into the casino at the Memorial Stu
dent Center to try their luck at
games of chance. A $2.50 ticket
entitled each person to $3,000 in
play money and an evening of cards,
dice, horseracing, and a floor show.
Brian Eck, casino chairman, said
$5,200 was collected from tickets
and concessions.
“We have not figured our ex
penses, yet,” Eck said.
“We cleared $1,000 in advance
ticket sales,” said Bill Hill, ticket
chairman and president of Hotard
Hall.
Joe Nixon, RHA president, said
that last year the RHA made about
$1,000 profit from casino. The
money is used for RHA projects.
Winning money at casino was not
difficult. Several people became
“multi-millionaires” in one evening.
“The house is favored (in the
odds),” Nixon said, “but we make
sure that everyone wins and has a
good time.”
Later in the evening some dealers
were giving players 5-1 odds. The
house ran out of money and had to
issue certificates for millions of dol
lars.
Entertainment for the evening
featured such acts as “Love Me Av
enue,” a rock group; the Kappa Pic
kers, who sang a few “hillbilly”
tunes; and Kim Moore and Mala
Farmer, better known as Maxine
and Gertie, who sang such classics
as “You’re the Hangnail of My Life”
accompanied by guitar and kazoo.
Kent Crank, recently voted as the
"most wild and crazy guy” on cam
pus, also entertained casino goers
with an imitation of a chicken laying
an egg and other antics.
“Casino is a good chance for
everyone to get away from the
routine of studying,” Crank said.
“People seem to be into the gambl
ing and the entertainment. ”
All the entertainers were perfom-
ing for free. Carolyn Brothers,
Friday and let us know what they need,”
Anderson said.
The office keeps cards on file of available
housing and prospective roommates.
Roommate preference cards indicate the
student’s personality type and what type of
person they want to live with.
“We also do counseling if roommates
are having problems getting along. Some
times we encourage students to participate
in a roommate swap in order to match up
personalities,” Anderson said.
During the summer a list of all the
roommate cards is compiled and sent to
Robeck elected
in school board
run-off race
Bruce Robeck, 38, of 117 Berkley, was
re-elected to Position 6 of the A&M Con
solidated School Board in a run-off elec
tion on Saturday.
Robeck was opposed by Ann Jones, a
homemaker, of 901 Glade.
Robeck was re-elected by a nine-vote
margin.
Of a possible 1,981 votes, Robeck re
ceived 995, and Jones received 986.
Robeck is currently serving as president
of the A&M Consolidated School Board,
and is an associate professor of political
science at Texas A&M University.
A run-off was necessary because neither
Jones nor Robeck received 50 percent of
the vote in the April 1 election.
each student seeking a roommate. The
lists are also handed out at orientation
periods for freshmen and transfer stu
dents.
Another problem off-campus students
face is living expenses and rising utility
rates. “Out of the 74 larger apartment
complexes only about 20 still pay all the
electricity and other utilities,” Anderson
said.
“This could easily end up costing the
students quite a lot of money if the aren’t
aware of the utility system, especially the
younger students who haven’t had to deal
with utility companies before,” Anderson
said.
The Hassle Free office sponsors a Free
University course in “How to Live on
Less.” “We teach students about wise buy
ing techniques, decorating, utilities, and
other ways to save money, Anderson
said.
The housing office also trains Hassle
Free representatives who are volunteers
to work at the various apartment com
plexes. These volunteers are available to
students who have problems with apart
ment management, maintenance or
roommates.
“We put them through an intensive
training session at the beginning of the fall
semester and shorter back up sessions dur
ing the year,” Anderson said.
Anderson encourages all students who
are looking for off-campus housing next
year to come to the Hassle Free office in
the YMCA building and pick up a copy of
the Survival Manual. The manual has
maps, information about apartments,
houses, duplexes, and mobile homes, and
tips on finding roommates.
Candidate waits tables
to meet district voters
RHA casino girls do a can-can routine to “Staying
Alive,” by the Bee Gees, for the entertainment of
the “gamblers.” They were chosen from the 120
girls who assisted the dealers at RHA casino Fri
day night.
entertainment chairman, chose the
acts from all those who responded to
her newspaper ad looking for talent.
One of the most popular acts was
a group of nine cancan girls. They
drew a large crowd at all three per
formances.
Tim Wessel, a sohomore pre-med
student and ventriloquist, intro
duced the acts with his “partner”
Andy.
Most people who attended casino
seemed to enjoy it, even those who
lost all of their money.
“I think casino is worth the
money to get in,” said Phil Walters,
a junior accounting major. “It’s bet
ter than last year. ” Walters said this
was the first time in three years he
had won enough money to bid on
something. He looked at the wad of
bills he was holding and said, “I
might have enough to buy a
burger.”
Items up for bid at the auction
ranged from “burgers” and fish
dinners to a bicycle and a television.
John Buckwalter and Bill
Schlafer, both sophomores, accumu
lated $15.4 million between them.
They won most of it playing
blackjack.
“We lost about one hand to every
ten we played,” Schlafer said. They
had hoped to win the television, but
the bidding went up to $42 million.
“Definitely, we will be here next
year,” Schlafer said.
Phil Naughton, a blackjack dealer
for casino, was not as positive about
the evening.
“I still think they need a lot more
work in organization,” he said.
“They run out of money every
year.” Naughton has worked at
casino for five years. “The auction is
not run very well,” he said. “The
sound system is terrible.”
The bicycle went for the most
money — $71 million. It was pur
chased by about 25 residents of
Dunn Hall’s first floor, organized by
Tony Lagalant.
“We’ll probably have some kind
of decision between us to see who
gets the bike,” Lagalant said. “A lot
of people put their money in to
wards the bike ’cause they couldn’t
buy anything with it by them
selves.”
It seems many people realized —
too late — that the thousands of dol
lars they had won at casino would
not be enough to win any of the
prizes being auctioned. The crowd
gathered before the auction block
was constantly rained on by showers
of pink and white casino money as
people threw wads of it over the
balcony or up in the air.
By ANDREA VALLS
Battalion Staff
Clearing dishes, wiping tables, and fill
ing water glasses is a new method of “serv
ing the public.”
Chet Edwards, Democratic candidate
for 6th Congressional District, catered to
his constituency Friday at Ramada Inn as a
busboy. Edwards also has served as a con
struction worker, a hospital aide, and a
ranch-hand in recent months. “This is my
way of meeting the people in my district
and becoming familiar with their needs
and their problems,” said Edwards.
Although young, 26, Edwards said his
age will allow him to better serve his dis
trict. “We need to elect ’em young and
keep ’em there,” he said.
Edwards found time between clearing
tables to express his views on some of the
campaign issues.
The policy Edwards advocates for the
energy problem calls for (1.) encouraged
production of domestic oil and gas; (2.)
energy conservation; and (3.) the de
velopment of alternate energy sources,
starting with coal and then planning ahead
to the use of nuclear and solar energy. We
need to develop these new technologies
now because the energy crisis won’t go
away just because we don’t like to think
about it, Edwards said.
Edwards offered his views on the na
tion’s farmer problems.
He said the country’s future, as well as
that of the farmers and ranchers, depends
on a fair, consistent policy that will pre
vent unreasonable surpluses and enable
farmers to earn a decent living. He added
the policy should encourage the preserva
tion and growth of small farms to prevent
American agriculture from becoming
dominated by large impersonal corpora
tions.
“Our farmers have a right to be upset.
They have serious problems and several of
these have been caused by the federal
government,” said Edwards. Congress
needs to look at a long-range program for
the farmers, he said. “It’s not fair for farm
ers to feed and subsidize this nation for the
prices they have to accept.
Turning to the recent controversy of the
neutron-bomb, Edwards said that it was a
mistake for the Carter administration to
silence it with out getting something in
return from the SALT talks.
“I’m not the candidate who pretends to
have an answer in this race. There just
aren’t any simple answers,” he said. He
added that he would be limited, as would
the five other Congressional candidates,
because they would be Freshman Con
gressmen.
Edwards served as a Legislative Aide to
Congressman Olin Teague in Washington,
and as a district administrative assistant to
Teague. Edwards said that this knowledge
of the legislative process gave him an abil
ity to deal with people. It also gave him
and “open mind” to have a reasonable ap
proach to issues and the problems of
people in his district,” he said.