Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Wednesday
October 11, 1978
Pothole diplomacy
By DICK WEST
J WASHINGTON — According to the
'magazine Engineering News-Record, a
'British auto firm has made plaster casts of
^several large potholes in New York City
land taken them back to England.
J The magazine said duplicate potholes
|would be reproduced from the models
•along the company’s eight-mile test track
•near Coventry.
1 Although the item didn’t say what pur
pose the potholes would serve, the expla
nation is obvious.
j; It is the prevailing view in international
■Street repair circles that British potholes
^are generally inferior to those found in the
United States.
Humor
^ —
That may be just a matter of taste, how
ever'.
♦ The fact that American potholes on the
3!jvhole have greater depth, larger circum
ference and more precipitous sides and
Ragged edges doesn’t necessarily mean they
3ire qualitatively superior.
Many connoisseurs prefer the subtleties
^<>f the English pothole, which is said to
..‘harmonize rather better with the roadway
Surface and thus more likely to take the
^motorist unawares.
♦ In his book “Patching Pavement,”
-fpadsworth Upfixx, an authority on street
^repair, points out that British potholes re
ject the tradition of the carriage wheel,
*which is narrower and more rigid than the
Automobile tire.
Esthetics aside, there have been com
plaints that imported British cars, which
were designed to withstand the stately
potholes of England, are too easily wracked
by the crude cavities that pockmark Ameri
can streets.
If BL, Ltd., the leading British auto
maker, is now able to advertise that its cars
have been tested for survivability on au
thentic American potholes, it undoubtedly
will have a big new selling point.
Then Germany, Japan and other auto
manufacturing countries will have no
choice but to indent their test tracks in a
similar manner.
You may be certain that government offi
cials concerned over America’s foreign
trade deficits are watching this situation
with interest.
Strong foreign demand for American
potholes could be the solution to our
chronic balance-of-payments problem.
We cannot afford to give other nations
carte blanche to create plaster casts replicas
of our street craters. What I have in mind is
establishment of a prefabricated pothole
industry that would mass-produce portable
pavement pits and sell them overseas.
The United States definitely has the po
tential of becoming the world’s largest ex
porter. We could be to potholes what Saudi
Arabia is to oil.
Unfortunately, our good fortune will
widen the pothole gap between the United
States and underdeveloped nations that
have only primitive cart ruts in their
streets. But we can offset any Third World
animosities by sending them some of our
potholes under the foreign aid program.
^Letters to the Editor
—
Hey, Ags, youVe done good
^Editor:
^ In view of all the adverse publicity that
*has resulted from a few incidents on cam-
^pus of late, i.e. Sbisa food fight, auditorium
^vandalism, etc., I want to publicly compli-
Jment the Aggies for their conduct at Sbisa
{Jbn Oct. 6 and at midnight yell practice on
*the same date.
H The most rewarding aspect of working
iwith Aggies is the feet that: when you out-
fine a problem and ask for student coopera-
■^lii&n m resolving it, dur-stiielents seldom let
>you down. My personal “thanks” to the
•finest student body in the world at the
•greatest institution —Texas A&M Univer
sity.
— Ron Blatchley
Dept, of Student Affairs
V
Give your input
JIditor:
S Student Government will very soon be
•faced with an important decision: what
^priorities should be set for its actions, as
Expressed by the manner in which Student
^Government allocates its funds through its
budget.
With Student Government funds being
'•extremely tight this year, this is a very im
portant issue. We would urge students to
’^review the proposed budget in the Student
^Government office (216 MSG) and contact
J*heir representatives to express their
^priorities on this matter.
— Dorothy DuBois, ’80
Philip Johnson, ’80
Steve Hageman, ’79
[V Editor s note: This letter was accom
panied by six other signatures.
The Student Government will vote on
Ahis budget Wednesday (Oct. 11) at its
'••meeting in 204 Harrington, which starts at
C7:30 p.m.
Eost and found?
‘^Editor:
Recently, I lost my watch in a lounge in
►jhe Quad area. My watch was a graduation
^present and I’m quite upset about losing it.
yi relly believe that the “Good Ag” that
'•found it would be happy to return it if they
‘•could find me.
It is this situation that brings the conclu
sion that there is a need for a general lost
and found on campus. There are a few small
lost and founds in various buildings around
campus, but no major one.
The spirit of A&M is one of friendliness
and helpfulness. Let’s find every way we
can to uphold this atmosphere even with
our growing numbers on campus!
— Natalie Nelson, ’82
* > ''i
Editor’s note: The University Police say
that the main desk at the Memorial Stu
dent Center serves as the general lost and
found for campus.
Not ‘playing army’
Editor:
In response to the letter by Scott Lane,
(Oct. 9):
I’ll try to keep this relatively short, so as
not to tax your excessive maturity.
Tell me, Scott, does your disrespect for
the Corps extend to the military? If so, does
thinking of Ike Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter
or John F. Kennedy revolt you?
Would you get mad if all your freedoms,
guaranteed by the Constitution, were
taken away from you? If so, what have you
done to insure that they’re not? Thousands
of men and women are placing their lives in
jeopardy to safeguard your right to send in
your letter. I’m proud to say that I shall join
them upon graduation.
I’d like to see you tell John Glenn, astor-
naut and U.S. senator, or Roger Staubach
that their maturity equals a 10-year-old.
I’m sure that Jarvis Miller appreciates your
slights, as he was in the Corps at A&M.
As far as “playing army” goes, I’d like to
show you a “tactical manuever” or two.
While I have yet, after 2 years, to ever
“play army,” I assure you that it’s better
here than in the field where you stand a
chance of losing your life.
Maturity. Now that’s a big word. I guess
to moon a bunch of guys running takes a lot
of maturity. Or to shout obscenities at
them. Food fights in front of and over par
ents and grandparents — is that maturity?
Where the Corps chooses to run, the
Corps will run. We run on the North side to
say “Howdy!” to all the girls, not for ya’ll.
Were the females impressed by your bare
bottoms or your verbal wizardry?
Finally, thank goodness for discipline in
^Slouch
|:
f.
by Jim Earle
r:
ri-
“THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, THE MORE TM IN FAVOR OF A
HANDSHAKE AFTER TOUCHDOWNS UNTIL OUR TEAM HAS
SOME COMPETITION!”
the Corps — had 2,200 “10-year-olds” bro
ken ranks ...
— Nils Eric Kjell, ’80
Michael B. Sartor, ’80
Joe Youngblood, ’80
P.S. to the Editor: you’ll notice that not
all of the signature on the enclosed sheet
are C.T. s, nor are they all male. There are
girls names (civilians) from Briggs as well as
Corps names, and the classes range from
•’79 to ’82. While it would be ludicrous for
me to suggest printing all the names, I feel
it only fair that they be given due notice
with the article.
Editor’s note: this letter was accom
panied by 65 signatures.
Don’t compare
Editor:
Descending the stairs in Harrington the
other day, I overheard someone comment:
“Gee, I think I’ll switch to an easy major
like journalism.”
This letter is addressed to all of the
numb-brains out there who think their
major is the most difficult. True, most jour
nalism majors aren’t required to know the
anatomy of a pig, or how to design a build
ing, but they are here for an education and,
like everyone else, to learn certain knowl
edge and skills for their future profession.
This is not intended to stick up for all of
the underestimated journalism majors. It’s
just a reminder to please quit comparing
majors and thinking you’ve got it soooo
bad.
I now step off my soapbox. By the way,
oh wise one, aren’t you glad I decided to say
my bit through a letter instead of in the
middle of the stairs?
—Erin Beckers, ’81
‘Maturity’ question
Editor:
This letter is in reference to the letter
“Defer Corps run” which appeared in the
Batt Oct. 9.
I live on the north side of campus and saw
the mocking of the Corps. I agree with Mr.
Lane that it was regrettable, but I do not
agree with his statement that the Corps will
show off it given the chance. Of course,
there are some show-offs in the Corps as
there are in any group of people. I do not
understand how Mr. Lane can justify his
statement that a Corps run is “showing off.
I watched the Corps run by on that par
ticular day and all I saw was a bunch of hot,
tired-looking guys jogging along followed
by a bunch of rude, loud-mouthed, incon
siderate slobs!
I also do not agree with Mr. Lane’s defi
nition of a C.T. I do, however, question the
maturity of those who followed the Corps
or just yelled the remarks as they ran by.
Finally, I do not believe that “Those who
mocked the C.T. s have the greatest respect
for Texas A&M, none for the Corps!”
How can anyone respect Texas A&M
without respecting the Corps which is a
part of Texas A&M? Without the Corps
Texas A&M would not be here today. The
Corps is the format on which this university
and many of its traditions were founded.
I do hope that this incident will not keep
the Corps from running in the north side
area as the whole campus belongs to both
members of the Corps and civilians.
To those who do not agree with me, that
is fine. You are entitled to your own opinion
and yes, I know Hwy. 6 runs both ways —
most highways do!
— Lisa Neal, ’81
Volunteer now
Editor:
Since 1964, when VISTA volunteers
began serving the nation’s poor, our prog
ram has been committed to mobilizing
community resources and encouraging
neighborhood leadership.
Almost 100,000 volunteers later — each
one contributing an average of $9,865 in
antipoverty services — many Americans
still volunteer for a year or two, working
on a grass roots level. Right now, 4,700
VISTAs serve 2,000 communities.
But the need for additional volunteers is
more urgent now than ever before. Hun
dreds of new VISTAs will be needed this
winter alone to replace the men and wo
men, college graduates or skilled workers,
blacks and Hispanics, from 18 to 81, who
are making their contribution in local
economic development, health, educa
tion, housing, legal rights and other com
munity services.
Frankly, the food and lodging allowance
is low, the hours are long, work often more
demanding than paid employment, but
the experience and challenge are like no
other.
More than ever, this is the time to join
VISTA.
Anyone interested, please write VIS-
TAPeace Corps,212 North St. Paul 1620
E., Dallas, Tex. 75201.
— Richard Garbell
Service Center Director
Plug that spit
Editor:
This is to the tobacco chewing TURKEY,
that on Thursday afternoon (Oct. 5) failed to
yield the right-of-way to the pedestrians
crossing over from Zachry to the campus,
and when one of the pedestrians made a
simple comment as to the effect of “Don’t
you believe in stopping, ” the bom fool pro
ceeded to slam on his brakes, back up, and
let the surrounding students partake in his
limited vocabulary of several obscene
words.
My first encounter with you and hope
fully my last left me with me with the im
pression that you would be the type of per
son who would throw food in Sbisa, be the
first to point your finger at someone sitting
or walking on the MSC grass, start a fight at
midnight yell practice, and slash the tires of
a t.u. student’s car.
I am not questioning your failure to yield
the right-of-way to the pedestrians but am
questioning the most obnoxious, arrogant
behavior I have ever seen in my three years
at Texas A&M. My reply to your high
schoolish, redneck performance on Thurs
day afternoon is “Take a dip in your cup of
spit, you belong there sweetie!”
— Cheryl Sultenfuss, ’79
Readers’ Forum
Guest viewpoints, in addi
tion to Letters to the Editor,
are welcome. All pieces sub
mitted to Readers’ forum
should be:
• Typed triple space
• Limited to 60 characters per
line
• Limited to 100 lines
Top of the News
i
STATE
Si
Chemical explosion in Orange
A loud, rocking explosion and fire damageed the DuPont Chemical
Plant Tuesday in Orange, Texas, but caused no injuries. Accordingto a
plant spokesman, the blast occurred about 9 a.m. in the poly-olefin
ffhvlene nolvmers used in food packaging are nrn.
plant spoKesman, me umsi “7 “
division where ethylene polymers used in lood packaging are pro
duced. The fire was quickly extinguished by plant firemen. Th e
spokesman said plant officials had not yet determined cause of the
blast.
Ri
Third Bullock aide resigns
A third aide to Comptroller Bob Bullock, Jim McNabb, resigned
Tuesday and accused top level comptroller assistants of falsifying
airplane flight logs and attempting to cover up travel expense vouchers
for Bullock and Deputy Comptroller Ralph Wayne. Two other aides
resigned from Bullock’s staff last week. The Austin American-
Statesman reported Tuesday that the joint letter of resignation asked
Bullock to fire chief deputy Ralph Wayne to avoid possible scandal. In
his letter of resignation, McNabb said there were excesses in operation
of the comptroller’s office, but indicated the excesses involved staff
members other than Bullock. He said later he wrote that Bullock
should remove Ed White, assistant comptroller. Jack Roberts and
Wayne from his staff.
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Condemned murderer David Lee Powell, force-fed by Huntsville
prison officials Monday by a tube in his stomach, ended his 13-day
hunger strike Tuesday. Powell, 27, scheduled to die by injection for
killing a policeman, did not say why he gave up fasting but said the tube
feeding “is not pleasant.” Powell’s mother said her son, an honor
student at the University ofTexas, wanted to die of malnutrition. The
Texas Department of Corrections was in the ironic position of keeping
a man alive so that he can be put to death. A prison official said Powell’s
condition would be frequently checked and he would be force-fed
again if necessary.
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NATION
U.S. congressman-runner dies
Rep. Ralph Metcalfe, D-Ill., died Tuesday, apparently of a heart
attack, at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Metcalfe, a former
Olympic runner and one the nation’s leading black legislators, was 68.
The congressman collapsed at his home on Chicago’s South Side and
was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he was pronounced dead
on arrival. Ted Borland, a spokesman for the hospital, said Metcalfe
apparently suffered a heart attack. An autopsy was ordered to deter
mine the official cause of death, Berland said.
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Times reporter put back in jail
New York Times reporter Myron Farber Tuesday was ordered back
to jail for his continued refusal to comply with a subpoena for his notes
in a murder case. Raymond Brown, the attorney for Dr. Mario Jas-
calevich, who is accused of killing three hospital patients with curare
overdoses, said Farber has little or no concern for the surgeon’s right to
a fair trial. The attorney sought the notes, but the Times and Farber
refuse to give them up on constitutional grounds. Farber says the First
Amendment and the New Jersey State shield law protect the confiden
tiality of his sources. Farber was freed pending appeal, but the U.S.
Supreme Court last Friday rescinded his release. Times attorney
Floyd Abrams said the subpoena for all the notes is too broad and he
hopes the Supreme Court will review the case.
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OPEC to challenge oil monopoly
The world s leading oil exporting countries have decided to chal
lenge the industrialized nations near-monopoly over oil refining and
transportation and petrochemical production Tuesday. The seminar in
Vienna is attended by 200 delegates from 35 nations, some being
leading representatives from the world energy scene. Secretary Gen
eral Ali Jaidah of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
said some member countries are worried about social and economic
implications involved in such a move. Jaidah said all OPEC member
countries have voiced support of the challenge. He said OPEC coun
tries account for 84 percent of the crude oil exports but have only 6
percent of the refining capacity.
Kenya announces new president
Daniel Arap Moi Tuesday was declared president of Kenya to suc
ceed Jomo Kenyatta, who died six weeks ago. Moi, who served as vice
president for 12 years, was elected president of the ruling Kenya
mean National Union last Friday. Moi will name his vice president
and announce several changes in the Kenyatta Cabinet on Saturday. In
a bnef speech Moi pledged to serve the people “loyally, faithfully and
do everything possible to insure that small and big will enjoy peace and
appiness. Attorney General Charles Njonjo said the people of Kenya
® rnor | s ^ ra f : < e( ^ through the smooth transition since Kenyatta s
death that they want peace. ”
The Battalion
LETTERS POUCY vfi. vfm. u
editorial staff reserve, the right to edit such lenZslnd Joel Southwest Journalism Congress
not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be IT J-r Kim TysT
stgned, shorn the address of the writer and list a telephone ^ d,t0r r JA
number/or verification. P Managing Editor UZ NC '
BattaUoZ r' Assistant Managing Editor . -Karen]
Station, Texas 77843 CoWe « c Sports Editor David I
Represented nationally by National Educational Adver- ^ WiOiJ
Using Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Campus Editor Andy WU |
Angeles._ News Editors Debbie Pa^j
s ^ B il tta ]i° n ’ S P ubIishe<, Monday tliMkkgh Friday fr„ m Beth Calhoun
September through May except during exam and hol.Z ,
Th^tu'rsdar mer ' When ^ iS PUblished ° n Editorial Director . .Lee Roy LeschpetJ
i M 3 ; 1 subscriptions are $16.75 per semester $33 25 n Wr i ters Mark Patterson, !
school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates h.r- Pendleton, Sean 11
Rl’dMcDo r naldR M e r- : n T, ' t ' Ba,talion ' 216, Michelle Scudder, Mar |
Uni^ I , U dmg ’ , ollege S,ation ' Texas 77843 Faulkenberrv Diane Blake
.«»««<^i
^Photographer ^ H
rocus sechon editor Gary W 1 k
those of the editortr^/the writerTf ‘th Regents The Battalion is a non-profit-
article and are not necessarily those of thl ^Ppttriing enterprise operated by stu
University administration or the t a ' S a univ ersity and community neWSP ,L
the Board °f ■■Editorial policy is determined by the edM