Viewpoint
The Battalion Monday
Texas A&M University September 18, 1978
The recipe
By DAVID WEEKS
The basic requirements for a university
are simple.
There must be a large campus with tall
brick buildings, scattered at random for
the assorted types of students and faculty
to run between before class starts.
Another important ingredient is an active
social calendar, complete with panty raids,
athletic events, and discussions of the
number of quantas of light wasted by the
chlorophyll in tropical ferns.
These requirements may seem some
what inadequate, but upon fiirther inves
tigation there seem to be only a few other
minor qualifications, such as mid-terms,
finals and a large parking area.
The buildings of a university should be
conservative, impressive structures, de
signed to relax the student and make him
feel at home in the small, contoured plas
tic seats.
The campus itself must have an assort
ment of plants such as trees, flowers and
shrubs, and should have a nice, manicured
look. This impresses visiting parents and
lets them see that their money is being put
to a good use. The many varieties of trees
also attract birds that roost on the limbs
that shade the sidewalks. The birds, there
fore, are an added bonus in that they keep
the students, faculty, and visitors alert
while walking across the campus.
No university would be complete with
out active student organizations. Who
could imagine a university without a foot
ball team or spelunkers society? These are
very important in attracting new students
as well as in occupying the minds of stu
dents currently enrolled. Usually some
organization will have a lecture, meeting
or party at just the time a reason is needed
to put off studying for a test.
What a great idea is the concept of get
ting students involved! Of course there
must be faculty to sponsor these groups as
well as students to join them.
The faculty and students are quite a
story in themselves. There must he at least
a dozen representatives from each cultural
and ethnic group in the world for a school
to be classified as a university.
Most of the faculty should have names
that are hard to pronounce, and each in
structor should work on a hard-to-
understand accent. This is so that students
will stay confused during class, and then
not know whom to ask for after class.
These are the major requirements; not
necessarily all, but by putting these to
gether, someone could start a pretty suc
cessful university system.
Weeks is a freshman animal science major
from Diboll.
A
Passenger pinchers beware
By DICK WEST
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Transportation offi
cials in this country are watching with in
terest Mexico City’s experiment with
sexually-segregated subway cars.
Thus far, it appears, the pinching of
female subway passengers south of the
border is far more prevalent than it is the
the United States.
Hence there is no immediate pressure
to assign men and women riders to sepa
rate cars, as in Mexico City.
There are, however, certain other con
veyances where pinching is a problem.
In the early stages of the Mexico City
innovation, some trains were being de
layed and couples that wanted to sit to
gether were complaining about being
parted. But if that approach ultimately
Letters to the editor
proves feasible, look for an upsurge of
anti-pincher movements here at home.
One prominent consumer advocate,
Rolf Naysayer, told me the first goal prob
ably will be to persuade the Federal Avia
tion Administration to require that "No
Pinching’ sections be set aside in airliners.
The Lighter Side
“We also would like to see pinching
banned entirely in crowded elevators, but
we realize we have to go about these
crusades one step at a time, he said.
I said, “I wasn’t aware passenger pinch
ing was much of a problem on airliners.
“It isn t,” Naysayer replied, “but for
stewardesses, pinching is a big headache.”
“They get pinched on the head?”
“Not usually. However, an unexpected
pinch can cause a stewardess to give a little
jump and bump her noggin on the over
head baggage rack.
“What we hope to eliminate through the
No Pinching sections is the element of
surprise.
“With pinchers and nonpinchers
lumped together, stewardesses never
know as they walk down the aisle where
the next pinch is coming from.
“But with segregated seating, they’ll
know when they’re in the danger zone and
can keep their guards up, so to speak.”
I said, “Other than being an occupa
tional hazard for stewardesses, is there any
evidence that pinching is harmful or an
noying to passengers?’’
“Definitely yes, Naysayer averred.
“There are many documented cases of
surprise pinches causing stewardesses to
drop trays and drench passengers with cof
fee, tea or milk.
“Equally undesirable is the prospect
that a pinched stewardess will emit a loud
yelp that awakens sleeping passengers and
makes the baby in the seat next to you
start crying.
“Passengers who object to this sort of
thing should have the right to be seated in
a section of the airplane where pinching is
prohibited.”
I said, “How do you go about enforcing
a ‘No Pinching rule?
“Violators will be required to wear their
hands inside their seat belts.”
What happened to all-for-one, one-for-all
Editor:
It’s a good thing that most people today
are sophists. If society didn’t believe in
“doing your own thing” we’d all be having
nervous breakdowns over the dealings of
our neighbors. Fortunately, society’s safe.
Now we don’t care what our neighbor is
doing.
Example: Rapes are getting pretty
common around here. The newspaper lists
four cases. I ask myself “does anybody
care. ” Obviously, there is a rapist roaming
around, yet the ladies who report the cases
are still give the third degree. All cases are
“suspect” or “alleged.” Open your eyes,
people.
The University seems detached from
the situation. The campus police are offer
ing our ladies a shuttle. But, guys are still
parking in the girls’ parking lot in the
north dorm area. Also, street fights are out
everywhere; outside G. Rollie White Col
iseum, the north dorm parking lot is 50
percent dark, and lights are out in the
parking areas across the tracks and across
from Rudder Tower.
Well, I’m fed up. Where is the tradi
tional one-for-all, all-for-one attitude so
often spoken of? Where is all the hand
shaking and friendly smiles Texas A&M is
known for? Maybe they are reserved for
the football team on home weekends.
I bet next time I walk up the stairs in
some building looking for that friendly
smile, I’ll be asking myself “does anybody
care.”
—Scott Dethloff, ‘79
Boob tube rude
Editor:
This letter is being composed from the
MSC Lounge. I am an off-campus grad
student who really enjoys taking an occa
sional break from the day’s activities in the
lounge. It is a great place to sit back, read
a little, meet and talk with friends, enjoy
the talented piano players, yet has enough
activity to make people-watching worth
while.
However, at this moment, and at other
times in the past, my enjoyment of the
environment, however garish it may be, is
being totally disrupted by the loud and
noxious noises coming from the boob tube
against the windows. Thus the reason for
this letter.
The background noise level is already
high enough, but to have to put up with
Hendrix’s wailing guitars (on the tube) is
too much. The poor little speaker in that
box apparently has to be turned up so high
to compete with an already-bad acoustical
situation and the piano that its totally dis
torted sound translates across the room as
not music or words, but as a boomy cres
cendo of noise that is really irritating.
Now I like to listen to Hendrix, but not
in the MSC Lounge. Other, more sedate
programs can be just as irritating when
you are trying to enjoy something else.
Don’t get me wrong; the recorded pro
grams are a good idea, but definitely in the
wrong place. In the lounge it is just like a
rude cigarette smoker blowing smoke in
your free while you are trying to eat; you
just can’t hide from it.
I don’t know if others feel as I do, but I
would like to suggest the TV be moved to
another location out of the lounge.
Perhaps that large, usually unused exhibit
space in the Rudder Center would make a
good location, given some adequate seat
ing. Maybe it belongs more down with the
pinball machines.
Now you may say why don’t I just go
someplace else? Well, I did, but I would
much rather have stayed there.
—Randy Hohalus, ‘76
How tall a Tower?
\
Editor:
Well, Nathan Hines (“Letters”, Battal
ion, Sept. 14), I bring you controversy.
Dateline, Friday’s Battalion; article
about Jeanne Tower.
How tall is John Tower? Even standing
on top of his issues and his past voting
record, he still comes up short.
How many years has he been in the se
nate? How many pieces of legislation has
he proposed?
John Tower has stated his “opposition”
to inflation (who is not in oppostion?), to
government spending (other than for
military or congressional pay raises) and of
course civil rights.
John Tower has voted against minimum
wage laws because “they are inflationary”,
but he voted for a congressional pay raise
Slouch
to $57,000 a year “because they deserve
it.” Ask anyone who makes $2.65 an hour
how much they deserve!
John Tower voted against almost all of
the civil and voting rights legislation of the
60s and still continues to vote against
minorities, women and of course, “Mr.”
Carter. His reason: “They were not in the
best interest of the minority or do not do
enough for them.” If they have been so
bad, why hasn’t he come up with anything
better or equal or anything?
John Tower is against “big government
expenses.” The “defense” budget must not
be a government expense. The defense
budget must be expanded forever to keep
up with the Russians (you can shape any
one’s mind with enough force.) The condi
tions at home and the student loan pro
grams are a big government “expense”
which can be whittled away.
Does John Tower’s daughter know her
father’s voting record? Did he or did he
not vote against the tuition tax credit bill?
The Houston Post said he did.
In regard to “mudslinging”, John Tower
claims the references to his voting record
are mudslinging... Maybe there has been
some muddying, but the facts (not John
Tower’s press releases or his newsletter)
show more mud toward his opponent.
I can go on with the “virtues” of our man
in the Senate, but...
I feel like I am not so much in support of
Krueger, but against Tower. It is time to
axe out liabilities to our state in the Senate
and in Korea.
—Ted Arnold
No debates, please
Editor:
In response to a previous letter to the
editor on “a lack of interesting, controver
sial letters,” I would like to compliment all
Aggies on their previous conduct.
It seems as if some of us have forgotten
the meaning of a truly good Ag.
Is it necessary for Aggies to have some
thing to quarrel about? To be constantly
feuding over some insignificant “controv
ersial” issue? No sir!
The “bright and intelligent Aggies” have
already fallen in step together to make this
year the best yet.
Come on Ags, let’s not waste a minute
debating with each other. Let’s work hard
together and help each other in everyway.
—Todd Huckabee, ‘81
—John Schneider, ‘81
A new tradition
Editor:
To Cindy Childress & Cindy Parker, ‘80
(Battalion “Letters”, Sept. 15).
I have always thought that at least up
perclassmen can read. Your letter in the
Battalion Friday showed me how wrong I
was. Look sharp, kiddies, you’re fixing to
learn something.
1) If you will go back and really read Ms.
Stephens letter (Battalion, Sept. 14), you
may find that you’re barking up the wrong
tree. Ms. Stephens was not attacking that
sacred male bastion known as the Aggie
Band per se. She was denouncing the
practice of not receiving PE credits here
for marching band credits at another uni
versity. According to sources out there in
the real world, this is a fairly common
practice among more enlightened institu
tions of learning.
2) Ms. Stephens obviously wanted to
come to A&M; otherwise she would not
have transferred here. She undoubtedly
realizes as well as the other 31,900 of us
that this is a reasonably decent place to get
an education. (Reasonably—not everyone
can read.) However, she knows as I do,
that there are a lot of brick walls put up by
The Administration that do not make
sense. Period.
3) Now, girls, you really opened a can of
worms when you talked about traditions.
Did you know that A&M used to be known
as one of the friendliest campuses around?
Do you two happen to know what friendli
ness is? Obviously not, since you told a
newcomer that “Believe it or not, honey,
Highway 6 runs both ways.” That was un
friendly, thoughtless and narrow-minded.
It comes from being a Snob. I don’t recall
hearing that snobs are a tradition here, but
it’s fast becoming one. Just think, you’re
helping to start a new tradition at A&M!
End of lecture, kiddies. Next time you
get diarrhea of the pen, stop and think for
once. You won’t look like such morons to
your betters.
—Marge Bernhardt, ‘78 & getting out
By Jim Earle
OOPS! SORRY!
Top of the News
Campus
Torres case lawyer to speak
Bob Bennett, a criminal attorney from Houston, will speak on
human rights and the police function at a Political Forum program
Thursday. He was employed as assistant district attorney from 1965-
1976. His last position there was Chief, Special Crimes Bureau
(1972-1976) where he was responsible for the investigation and pro
secution of cases involving organized crime, economic crime, con
sumer fraud and public corruption. Since entering private practice,
he successfully defended one of the Houston police officers charged
in state and federal court in the Joe Campos Torres trial. The program
will be at 12:30 p.m. in room 206 of the Memorial Student Center
Jlnste.
im at SI
Naval representative in town
A representative from the Naval Reserve Units in Waco willbein
College Station Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week to
interview Navy and other service veterans who may be interested in
the Naval Reserve program. A number of officer and enlisted person
nel from the faculty and student body at Texas A&M Universityarr
currently assigned to the three Waco units that meet the second
weekend of each month. For further information, contact Senior
Chief Wallace at the Bryan Navy Recruiting Office, Sunnyland Shop
ping Center, phone 822-5221.
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State
Exxon faces air pollution suit Inme 4
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Ms tai
Exxon Co. USA’s Baytown, Texas, facility is facing a possible anti
pollution lawsuit, along with adjacent Stauffer Chemical Co. Officials
said last February Exxon’s own air samplings showed 200 sulk
dioxide violations in eight months. The Texas Air Control Boardkas
recommended the attorney general file suit against the two firms
Exxon and Stauffer officials have said they were or soon would bein
full compliance with state laws.
kai
Galveston man sentenced to death
A jury in Galveston Friday sentenced 25-year-old Jackie Ray Os
teen to die by injection for the robbery and slaying of Lawrence
Mathis, 59, of Texas City last March. It was the city’s first deal!)
sentence in more than seven years. Osteen was convicted of capital
murder and a second defendant, Jude Walter Broussard, 20. ra
convicted of robbery Wednesday. Broussard was sentenced to20
years in prison and a $2,.500 fine. Prosecutors said Osteen and Brous
sard took Mathis to an isolated location, robbed him of SI,000and
Osteen then shot him three times.
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Third escapee apprehended
Larry Chism, 29, one of two Tennessee convicts sought afterlast
Wednesday’s breakout, was captured Sunday near Salem, Ark.,after
a high-speed auto chase. Another escapee, Richard Lyons, is still
sought by authorities in Ohio. Chism, Lyons and two other men
blasted their way out of a Dickson, Tenn., bowling alley on apris*
ers outing, using guns that had been affixed to the men’s rootjwl-
ing. Since then, the men have commandeered an airplane andtyit
five vehicles and taken at least eight hostages, all of whom we
released unharmed. The other escapees, George Bonds and FU
Brewer, were captured Thursday at Hoxie, Ark., at a police
roadblock.
Tornado kills four people in Iowa
A tornado ripped through several central Iowa communities Sate
day night killing at least four people and injuring 29. A Jasper Coni,
sheriff’s deputy said “there’s damage all over the county. Them
farmhouses and trees down everywhere. The National Weather Ser
vice had issued only a warning for severe thunderstorms at the time
World
320 people killed in earthquah
At least 320 people were killed in the east Iranian town oflabas
that was almost completely leveled by a killer earthquake Saturday
night, Iranian newsmen reported from the area. The govemmenl
radio said the death toll in the quake, the strongest in the world this
year, would be much higher than the official figure of 24 reported
earlier. The Red Lion and Sun Society, Iran’s equivalent to the Red
Cross, mounted a massive relief operation flying in tents, food, field
hospitals and medical teams from areas around the stricken zone.
Guards recapture two cities
The National Guard said Saturday it recaptured two cities-
including Nicaragua’s second largest city—held by Marxist Sandinista
guerrillas attempting to overthrow President Anastasio Debayle
Late Saturday a National Guard commander said his men had liber
ated the city of Chinandega, about 160 miles northwest of Managua
and asked for helicopters to evacuate the wounded. The information
monitored from military radio could not he confirmed. At least two
other cities were still largely in guerrila hands and new fighting was
reported in a fourth.
Weather
Partly cloudy and warm for today. The temperature will be
high in the mid-90s and low in the upper 70s. There is no
precipitation expected, continuing like this Tuesday and
Wednesday.
The Battalion
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Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The
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Editor Kim
Managing Editor LizN* 1
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